The Strategist

Catalan separatists agree to form a coalition in exchange for independence talks



11/26/2019 - 08:10



The Republican Left of Catalonia party, which is for independence of the autonomous community, supported formation of a coalition government with a majority of votes in exchange for the resumption of negotiations on regional independence, El Pais reports.



Liz Castro
Liz Castro
According to the publication, 94.6% of party members supported formation of the coalition. In return, they demand that the PSOE socialists who won the election step up negotiations between the Spanish government and the Generalitat de Catalunya (the highest self-governing body of Catalonia, which includes the parliament and the government of the autonomous community).

Party spokeswoman Marta Vilalta said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will have to make a choice between negotiations with supporters of independence and another unsuccessful attempt to form a government.

5,953 activists out of a total of 8,500 from the Republican Left of Catalonia participated in the vote.

As explained by the BBC, the socialists, led by Sanchez, are forming a coalition with the left party Podemos, but together they get 155 seats, while the parliamentary majority requires 176 seats. In the last election, the Republican Left of Catalonia won 13 seats in the Spanish parliament.

The socialists won the extraordinary parliamentary elections held on November 10, but failed to gain the majority needed to form a one-party government. The November elections in Spain were already the fourth in four years and the second this year.

source: elpais.com