Regional election in Catalonia, 12 May 2024

On 12 May 2024, 135 seats in the Catalan Parliament were up for election. For the first time since autonomy was restored in 1980, the pro-independence parties failed to secure an absolute majority. Salvador Illa’s Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC, PSOE) emerged victorious with 28.0% of the vote (+5 pp compared to 2021) and 42 seats (+9). They came ahead of the centre-right, pro-independence coalition Junts+ (Cat-Junts+), led by Carles Puigdemont, who won 21.6% of the vote (+1.5 percentage points) and 35 seats (+3).

The pro-independence left suffered the heaviest losses. The Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC, Greens/EFA), led by outgoing president Pere Aragonès, fell to 13.7% of the vote (-7.6 pp) and 20 seats (-13). This decline weakens the entire Catalan nationalist camp, especially since the far-left Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP-DT) also performed poorly, falling from nine to four seats and winning only 4.1% of the vote (down 2.7 pp). Notably, the new far-right independence party Aliança.cat entered parliament with two representatives, winning 3.8% of the vote.

Among the unionist parties, the Popular Party (PP, PPE) made significant gains, winning 11.0% of the vote (+7.2 pp) and 15 seats (+12). This was largely due to the collapse of the centre-right Ciudadanos (Cs), who won only 0.7% (-4.9 pp) and disappeared from parliament. The far-right Vox (PfE) retained its 11 seats with 8.0% of the vote (+0.3 pp). Meanwhile, on the left, the alternative left-wing and eco-socialist alliance Comuns Sumar declined, winning 5.8% of the vote (down 1.1 pp) and six seats (-2).

On 8 August 2024, PSC leader Salvador Illa was elected President of the Generalitat with the support of ERC and Comuns Sumar, following Carles Puigdemont’s failed attempt to return. This election thus marks a major turning point in Catalan politics, ending more than a decade of pro-independence majorities in parliament.

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