Separatists lose in Catalan Vote

Prime Minister Sánchez views this result as a validation of his Catalonia policies, particularly the controversial amnesty law benefiting nationalists facing legal action for separatist activities. This law, nearing completion in the Spanish parliament, has faced strong opposition from the right.

Salvador Illa hailed the result as “a new era for Catalonia,” crediting the policies implemented by the Spanish government and Prime Minister Sánchez. The amnesty law was a condition for the parliamentary support that JxCat and ERC gave Sánchez, enabling him to form a new central government last November.

Carles Puigdemont, who fled abroad in 2017 after a failed secession bid, is expected to benefit from the amnesty and return to Spain. He campaigned ahead of this election from the south of France.

Despite the Socialist win, forming a government will be challenging for Illa, likely needing support from ERC and the far-left Comuns Sumar alliance. Puigdemont called for ERC not to join a coalition with the unionist PSC, suggesting instead that the two main pro-independence parties form an administration.

The fragmented Catalan parliament, divided by unionist-separatist and left-right allegiances, will likely lead to lengthy post-election negotiations. If a new administration is not formed, a repeat election may occur.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) made significant gains, becoming the fourth party in Catalonia, followed by the far-right Vox. In contrast, Ciudadanos lost their representation in the parliament. A new far-right party, Catalan Alliance, won two seats with its platform based on separatism and anti-immigrant policies.