Catalonia to hold regional elections

The Spanish municipality of Catalonia will hold its regional election today.

The largest parties are the Socialist Party and the pro-independence parties of Together for Catalonia and the Republican Left of Catalonia. In the last election in 2021, the Socialists’ Party won the most votes but a coalition government emerged between Together for Catalonia and the Republican Left. The main priorities for Catalan voters in this election include climate change, the economy, and public services. These three areas concern voters partly due to a recent drought that forced the region to declare a state of emergency.

Although it won’t play as big of a role as these issues, the question of independence will still have an impact on the election. In 2023, the Catalan public opinion office published a poll which showed that 43% of Catalans supported independence from Spain.

The election will be tightly contested, and it is unlikely that either of the three parties will win the 68 seats needed for a majority according to a recent poll. If either of the pro-independence parties form a government after the election, they will put pressure on Madrid to legalize a referendum on independence.