Catalan Politics

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/uk-spain-catalonia-idUKBRE8AP0EJ20121126

         

            Above is the link to the article I read about yesterday's elections in Catalunya, which of course have been highly publicized and debated over for the past month and beyond.  The ERC has now doubled its representation in the Catalan parliament, and the CiU lost 12 seats bringing their total to 50.  This means, although still in power with Mr. Mas in charge, they will need to form an alliance with the ERC in order to hold their position.  It is unfortunate for Mr. Mas, because they were hoping to win absolute majority with 68 seats, which would make it much easier to push for a referendum for Catalan independence.  Now they will have to team up with their rivals in order to push for nationalism, which will most surely be a more difficult challenge since their viewpoints are never the same.  Although both of these parties are for this cause, I have heard that the ERC will not support any of Mas's plans for fiscal stability in Catalunya.  Mas however does not have much of a choice at this point, and I think it is best for him and his party to make an alliance in order to better their own position and remain in power.

          The political system in Spain is much different than the one used in America.  Firstly, there are only two main political parties, the democrats and the republicans, which means that it is much easier to choose a side since there are less to choose from.  With 5 or more parties here in Spain, it seems very difficult for things to actually get accomplished because so many are fighting each other for the same spot.  With such an economic crisis Spain is currently dealing with, it makes this whole ordeal even harder because so many citizens of Catalunya are upset over what has been happening.  The unemployment rate is up, and people are now turning to independence as their source for an answer.  I am not sure what will happen to this region in the next coming months and years, but I hope whoever is in charge will find a peaceful and successful solution to this growing problem.Whether independence is best for Catalunya or not, I do feel drastic changes are needed in order to stop the economy from failing even more.

            I have still a lot to learn about the various parties in this region of Spain, and the topics for debate are too vast for me to understand in one semester.  Being here for these elections has been one of the most interesting and exciting times in my life because it is clear how important they are for the people of Catalunya.  My parents even told me last week that the news stations in America plan to have full coverage of the elections, which shows me just how important they are for not just Spain, but the world.  Once I return to my country, I will definitely stay aware with what is going on here in Barcelona because I have now started to become a supporter of independence.  Of course I know so little compared to actual Catalans, but I do understand the basic arguments for this cause, and I agree with them.  Only time will tell what ends up happening for this region, but no matter what happens I hope it will fix their economy and job employment rates.  The two pictures attached I took during the festival of La Merce.  If you look closely at the picture directly above, Artur Mas and his staff are standing on the balcony of the goverment building.  They were actually getting booed while I was there!