From 27-J to 27-S: two hectic months in lead-up to independence plebiscite

Early elections to the Catalan Parliament will be held on 27 September, with the goal of sizing up the level of support for seceding from Spain. The election-as-plebiscite has forced political parties to position themselves vis-à-vis the creation of an independent Catalan state.

The pro-independence bloc, under the banner of Junts pel Sí (Together for a ‘yes’) comprises CDC, ERC, Moviment d’Esquerres, and Avancem, and has the support of the civil society groups Catalan National Assembly and Omnium Cultural, as well as of Crida Constituent—the name CUP is running under in the upcoming election. The unionist bloc is formed by PSC, PP and Ciutadans.

Meanwhile, Unió Democràtica and the coalition Catalunya Sí que es Pot (comprising Podemos and ICV-EuiA but not, in the end, Arcadi Oliveres and Teresa Forcade’s Procés Constituent), have yet to define their position regarding Catalan independence; both forces include candidates from the for- and the against-independence political camps.

The starting shot for the election season will come on 3 August, when President Artur Mas is expected to sign a decree dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling the elections. Once the president has signed the decree, the electoral countdown will begin, although the official campaign will unfold from 11 September to 25 September.

The demonstration organized by the leading separatist civil society groups along Barcelona’s Meridiana Avenue on 11 September will be one of the highlights of the countdown to the election, and it will strive to capture the world’s attention. The significance of the 27-S election resides in allowing the independence movement to quantify citizen support for secession—after attempts to hold a binding referendum ended in failure—and to obtain a democratic mandate for the process of breaking away from Spain politically and legally. International attention to these elections may prove decisive in the final stretch of this independence bid.

The electoral calendar


Between 5 and 15 August, parties wishing to form coalitions must inform electoral boards. Candidacy applications will be submitted between 19 and 24 August, and on 26 August, the Catalan government’s official register will publish the electoral lists. A brief period of public comment and amendment will follow, and on 31 August, the final lists and nominations will be officially announced. The public draw for the individuals who will man the polling stations will take place between 29 August and 2 September. From 22 to 26 September the publishing of voting intention polls will be banned.

After a so-called day of reflection, the election will take place on 27 September. The votes will be counted the evening of Election Day. The final and official announcement of the election results will take place on 4 October. The constitution of the new parliament will take place between 28 September and 26 October.

‘Yes’ bloc candidates

Parties or coalitions have already designated most of their candidates, or at the very least those who will be at the top of their lists. Junts pel Sí has announced that Raül Romeva will lead its candidacy, followed by Carme Forcadell (ANC), Muriel Casals (Omnium), Artur Mas (CDC), Oriol Junqueras (ERC), Eduardo Reyes (Súmate), and Oriol Amat (and economist and independent). The head of list for Girona will be singer Lluis Llach, and, for Tarragona, economist Germà Bel. The head of list for Lleida has yet to be designated; the remaining candidates in every electoral district have yet to be confirmed.

The CUP yesterday began a voting period to select candidates for its electoral lists. Results will be known this week, but the party’s national secretariat has put forth a closed proposal for the top five candidates on its list in Barcelona, whom supporters will be able to vote for separately if they so wish. These candidates are journalist Antonio Baños, university professor Anna Gabriel, baker and economist Josep Manuel Busqueta, activist Gabriela Serra, and historian Albert Botran. For Girona, Tarragona, and Lleida, there are a number of candidates who have not been designated by the party secretariat.

Catalunya Sí que es Pot and Unió

Catalonia Sí que es Pot will also hold a vote to select its candidates; however, the parties that conform the coalition—Podemos, ICV and EuiA—last week designated Barcelona neighbourhood activist Lluís Rabell as its candidate to head the Barcelona list. The parties have also designated their own candidates: Podemos tapped Albano Dante Fachín, ICV elected Joan Coscubiela, and EuiA chose Josep Joan Nuet. Other names have been discussed for the top spot on the party’s list in Barcelona, ​​but none have been confirmed. The candidate lists for Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona are not known.

Unió Democràtica will vie for the election independently, after having dissolved the long-standing coalition it formed with CDC. The party will base its campaign on the message of Catalan ‘seny’ (or level-headedness and good sense), moderation, and dialogue with Spain. Its candidate for Barcelona will be Ramon Espadaler, ​​but it is not yet known who will make up the lists for Lleida, Girona, and Tarragona.

‘No’ bloc candidates
Among ‘no’ bloc parties, the PSC will put forth Miquel Iceta for Barcelona, with Eva Granados as number two on the list. The third, fourth and fifth slots will be occupied by Ferran Pedret, Alicia Romero, and Jordi Terrades. Oscar Ordeig will be the head of the socialist’s list in Lleida; Rafael Bruguera will lead the list in Girona; and Carles Castillo will be at the top of the list in Tarragona. For its part, the PP has yet to formally designate candidates. It is rumoured that Alicia Sánchez-Camacho might be replaced in an attempt to renew the party’s image, but no replacement has been named yet.

Albert Rivera will not be the candidate for Ciutadans; the party chose Agnes Arrimadas as the head of list for Barcelona, followed by Carlos Carrizosa and José Maria Espejo-Saavedra. The remaining Ciutadans lists will be led by Jean Castel (Girona), Matias Alonso (Tarragona), and Jordi Soler (Lleida).