The Socialists have emerged victorious in the election in the Mediterranean region, but an old acquaintance holds the key to forming a government. For the first time in over ten years, independence supporters in Catalonia have lost their absolute majority in the regional parliament, with separatist parties only securing 61 of the 135 parliamentary seats. The Liberal-conservative Junts party and the ERC, both separatist parties, secured 35 and 21 seats respectively. Other parties like CUP and Aliança Catalana also gained seats in the parliament.
Despite efforts to ease the Catalan conflict and shift focus to other issues, an amnesty law proposed by the Socialists to grant impunity to organizers of the 2017 independence referendum played a significant role in their campaign. However, Puigdemont and his Junts per Catalunya party emerged as the second strongest force behind the Socialists.
The outcome of the election hinted at difficulties in forming a stable government majority, with Puigdemont holding the key to forming a government in Spain. Puigdemont, who is in exile in France, expressed his intention to return to Catalonia as head of government. The possibility of forming a stable government in Catalonia remains uncertain, with potential coalitions facing challenges. An alliance between the Socialists and Puigdemont’s Junts party could secure a majority in the parliament, but this situation could lead to new elections if a government is not formed.
Illa campaigned on a platform focused on leaving behind independence process and addressing other pressing issues like mass tourism, housing shortages and climate change that were affecting region’s economy.
In conclusion, while there was some progress towards resolving conflicts through elections and formation of governments that would address specific issues affecting citizens’ daily lives; it still seems challenging for all sides involved to agree on what should be done about one of Europe’s most longstanding disputes – Spanish autonomy for its regions.