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Pro-independence parties one seat short of majority ahead of Catalan elections - poll
The election comes after the last elected government was sacked in the midst of Spain’s worst political crisis in decades
Regional elections are scheduled for the 21 December as pro-independence parties seek to retain control over parliament
Pro-independence parties are one seat short of retaining the parliamentary majority needed to maintain control of the Catalan regional parliament, according to a poll published on Sunday, one month before regional parliamentary elections.
According to the poll by Metroscopia, pro-majority parties are poised to increase their vote share to 46%, up 6% since the last elections. Catalan separatist parties are predicted to win 46%, down from 47.7%.
This would give pro-independence parties 67 seats, one short of an absolute majority needed to retain control of the regional parliament. Unionist forces would also fall short of an absolute majority in this scenario, with roughly 23% still undecided.
Failure to win a majority in the regional parliament would be a blow for Catalan separatists who have billed the Dec. 21 election as a de-facto plebiscite on Madrid’s decision to impose direct rule on the wealthy region last month.
Following Spain’s worst political crisis in decades, the sacking of the secessionist Catalan government in October has a eased tensions for the moment, although victory for the pro-independence camp in December would plunge the northeast region back into uncertainty.
