Difficulties to form a solid Government
The Catalan elections of 12-M have resulted in the apparent difficulty of forming a solid Government in Catalonia. Alícia Romero, number 2 of the PSC, has mentioned that a socialist government alone is the ‘first option’, although she recognizes that it is ‘difficult’. In an interview on TVE, Romero has expressed that they are waiting to know the intentions of the groups from which they have asked for support, and how the government will be configured, whether it is the PSC alone or in coalition with other parties. However, she has assured that her party will not resign from the presidency of the Parliament.
Round of contacts and possible agreements
The PSC has begun a round of contacts with political parties to organize the first meetings in which possible pacts for the constitution of Parliament and the investiture of the president of the Generalitat will be explored. These calls will not include Vox or Aliança Catalana. According to Alícia Romero, the first calls and contacts are being made with the different parties to contrast and share feelings and wills, and from there, negotiate.
Decisions in Catalonia
Romero has assured that the PSC will work to make the Parliamentary Board as plural as possible and represent the results of the elections. Furthermore, he has criticized that in the past this has not occurred due to the independence pacts, which have left some groups outside the governing body of the Parliament. Regarding the European elections that will be held on June 9, Romero hopes that they will not influence the campaign too much and that the governability of Catalonia can be separated from this event. It should be noted that the deadline to constitute the Parliament is June 10, the day after the European elections. On the other hand, Romero has reaffirmed that the PSOE alliances in Madrid will not influence the negotiations in Catalonia and has insisted that ‘Catalan policy is decided in Catalonia and is decided by the PSC’.
Candidates for the presidency of Catalonia
Salvador Illa, PSC candidate, was the winner of the 12-M elections, winning 42 seats, 9 more than in 2021, and surpassing the pro-independence parties. Junts+ won 35 seats, while ERC suffered a loss of 13 seats, leaving it with only 20 deputies and causing the resignation of the acting president, Pere Aragonès. On the same night of the elections, Salvador Illa announced his candidacy to be elected as the new president of Catalonia. Illa ran to lead a new stage in Catalonia and celebrated the good results of the PSC, which for the first time in 45 years won the elections in both votes and seats.
The scenario is complicated for Illa, since she will have to seek support to be able to set up a government. The situation became even more complicated when Carles Puigdemont, Junts candidate, also announced his candidacy to be president. Puigdemont claimed to have more options than Illa to be invested with a simple majority in a second round. According to Puigdemont, the Parliament will be asked to indicate the support that each candidate has and from there decisions will be made.
