Catalan nationalism in Sant Cugat
Since 1980, center-right Catalan nationalism has won every election to the Parliament of Catalonia in Sant Cugat. The different candidates from this political space have prevailed in every election since the democratic restoration. This trend has been constant over the years, with Convergència and Unió leading the elections between 1980 and 2012, Junts pel Sí winning in 2015 and Junts per Catalunya winning in 2017 and 2021.
In Sant Cugat, Catalan nationalism has obtained much better results than in the country as a whole. This reality turns Sant Cugat into a stronghold of Catalan nationalism, especially within the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.
The first elections to the Parliament of Catalonia
In 1980, the first Catalan elections were held after the Franco dictatorship. Convergència i Unió, with Jordi Pujol as candidate, was the party with the most votes in Sant Cugat. In that year, Sant Cugat had approximately 30,000 inhabitants and a total of 12,064 residents voted. Convergència i Unió obtained 30.7% of the votes, followed by the PSC (19.8%), PSUC (18.3%), ERC (7.8%) and Unión de Centro Democrático (5.6%).
Over the years, the political landscape has undergone changes, but Catalan nationalism has maintained its dominant position in Sant Cugat. In the most recent elections, Junts led the results with 24% of the votes, followed by ERC with 17.9%. The PSC obtained figures similar to those of 1980, with 17.4% of the vote.
Catalan nationalism in Sant Cugat
Despite the fact that the convergent space has won every Catalan election since 1980 in Sant Cugat, its support has been decreasing since 2010. That year, Convergència i Unió received 48.7% of the votes of Sant Cugat residents. However, since 2012, the results have been decreasing, with percentages of 41.8% in 2012, 29.4% in 2017 and 24.6% in 2021.
On the other hand, the PSC has experienced growth in the last twelve years, going from 7.4% of the vote in 2012 to 17.5% in 2021. However, the Socialists had exceeded 30% of the suffrage in 1999.
Strong nationalist
Sant Cugat has always stood out as a stronghold of center-right Catalan nationalism, especially Convergència. This political space has obtained some of the best results in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. In the 2021 elections, Sant Cugat was the only city of more than 50,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan Area where the PSC did not win. Together they obtained 24.6% of the votes, while at national level they remained at 20% and in the constituency of Barcelona at 17.9%.
Spanish nationalism in Sant Cugat
In Sant Cugat, there is also a significant presence of Spanish nationalism, represented by the Popular Party. In the 2021 elections, the PP obtained 5.5% of the votes in Sant Cugat, while at national level it was 3.8%.
In contrast, left-wing parties such as the PSC and ERC have obtained weaker results in Sant Cugat compared to the rest of the country.
In short, Sant Cugat has consolidated itself as a stronghold of centre-right Catalan nationalism, with Spanish nationalism also present to a lesser extent. This political reality has endured over the years, with Catalan nationalism remaining the dominant force in Sant Cugat.
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