Both separatists and unionists are claiming victory in Catalonia after the election on Thursday gave a majority of the seats (seventy out of 135) but not the votes (47.5 percent) to the former.
The view from abroad is that nobody won. Read more
Separatist parties defended their majority in Catalonia’s regional parliament on Thursday, but only by a whisker. The parties that want to secede from Spain won seventy out of 135 seats against 57 for the unionists.
Catalonia in Common, a left-wing party that rejects both independence and Spain’s suspension of Catalan home rule, won the remaining eight seats. Read more
On Thursday, the Atlantic Sentinel will be providing live analysis and commentary of the election in Catalonia.
In addition to updating you on the results, our focus will be on analysis and opinion. We’ll be reading the local, European and international coverage of the election and share (and where necessary translate) interesting takes for you.
I hope you’ll join us! We’ll kick off around noon Central European Time. Read more
Catalans will elect a new regional parliament on December 21. Here is everything you need to know about the election.
Carles Puigdemont appears to have made the right decision forming a new political entity, called Together for Catalonia, as opposed to leading his center-right European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) into next month’s election.
Two recent polls, one published in El Periódico, the other in ABC newspaper, give the deposed president’s list almost 17 percent support.
That puts it neck and neck with the liberal Citizens and mainstream Socialist Party — both of which oppose Catalan independence — for second place.
Together for Catalonia uses PDeCAT’s infrastructure but has drawn candidates from civil society. Read more
Catalonia’s Socialists have taken themselves out of contention for the next coalition government by refusing deals with parties that, in the words of leader Miquel Iceta, have taken the region “to the brink of the abyss.”
Even if the European Democratic Party and the Republican Left, which jointly ruled Catalonia until the regional government was dissolved by Madrid, renounce secession, the Socialists would still not partner with them, Iceta said in a television interview.
Nor would he commit to a unionist pact with center-right parties, thus condemning the Socialists to four more years in opposition. Read more