Wikipedia

Democrats of Catalonia

Not to be confused withCatalan European Democratic Party.

Democrats of Catalonia(Catalan:Demòcrates de Catalunya,DC) is aChristian-democratic,pro-Catalan independencepolitical party inCataloniafounded in July 2015 from a split inDemocratic Union of Catalonia(UDC).[14]Its members included the then-Speaker of the Catalan parliamentNúria de Gispertand former UDC presidentJoan Rigol.The party has received accusations ofxenophobiafor its controversial statements against Spaniards,[15][16]and for having ties with xenophobic organizations.[17]

Democrats of Catalonia
Demòcrates de Catalunya
AbbreviationDC
PresidentNúria de Gispert
Secretary-GeneralAntoni Castellà
Founded12 July 2015(2015-07-12)
Registered31 August 2015(2015-08-31)
Split fromDemocratic Union of Catalonia
HeadquartersC/ Calàbria, 149-151, ent. 2ªA
08015,Barcelona
Membership(2020)2,562[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[10]toright-wing,[11][12]withfar-rightfactions[13]
Regional affiliationJunts pel Sí(2015–17)
Democracy and Freedom(2015–16)
Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes(2017–20)
Together for Catalonia (2020)(since 2020)
Parliament of Catalonia
1 / 135
Website
www.democrates.cat

History

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The party was founded in July 2015 by former members of theDemocratic Union of Catalonia(UDC)—including Antoni Castellà,Núria de Gispert,Rosa Maria Carrasco AzemarandJoan Rigol—following the break up ofConvergence and Unionover dissatisfaction with what they saw as weak support from UDC to the Catalan independence movement.[18]It was registered in theinterior ministryin August 2015.[19]On 8 August 2015, Castellà declared that it had secured the support of 1,600 volunteers within 20 days, as well as the pledged support of 23 out of the 43 UDC city mayors and 118 out of UDC's 191 city councillors.[20]

The party's strategy has been to contest elections withinelectoral allianceswith other parties. For the2015 Catalan regional election,it joined theJunts pel Sí(English:"Together for Yes") big-tent alliance for Catalan independence together withDemocratic Convergence of Catalonia(CDC),Republican Left of Catalonia(ERC) andLeft Movement(MES).[21]In the2015 Spanish general election,DC joined theDemocracy and Freedom(DiL) electoral coalition together with CDC andReagrupament(RI.cat).[22][23]The party chose not to contest the2016 general electionfollowing CDC's decision to discontinue the DiL alliance, because of "the impossibility of offering Catalan voters a big-tent list with independents defending the process towards an independent Catalan State".[24]

In July 2016, the party would see a conflict with CDC over the latter's decision to refound itself into the "Catalan Democratic Party", a name which was regarded as problematic by the Spanishinterior ministrybecause of its potential confusion with DC's own name.[25][26]DC's secretary-general, Antoni Castellà, commented that "if the PDC does not change its label, then there will be conflict within Junts pel Sí",[27]threatening to go to the courts over the issue unless the PDC properly differentiated the aesthetical use of the acronym, the party logo, renounced to use blue as the party's corporate colour and rejected the use of the termDemòcrates(English:"democrats") to refer to party members.[28]The issue was eventually solved after the PDC chose to rebrand itself as theCatalan European Democratic Party(PDeCAT).[29][30]

The party supported the celebration of anindependence referendum in 2017,calling for a "Yes" vote.[31]After the 1 October 2017 referendum and the subsequentconstitutional crisis,DC reached an agreement with ERC to join theRepublican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes(ERC–CatSí) alliance ahead of the2017 Catalan regional election,on the grounds of it being "what looks most like a big-tent list".[32]

Ahead of theApril 2019 Spanish general election,DC unsuccessfully proposed a "common front" of all independentist parties "with the sole objective of provoking a total and absolute institutional blockade of theCortesuntil achieving the implementation of the 1-O results ".[33][34]In July 2019, the party's National Council in favour of pressing forunilateralismand "confrontation with the [Spanish State]" to achieve independence.[35]

In June 2020, DC was commented to be up for consideration in the plans of formerCatalan presidentCarles Puigdemontas a potential ally ahead of his establishment of a new, unitary pro-independence party centered onTogether for Catalonia.[36]

Electoral performance

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Parliament of Catalonia

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Parliament of Catalonia
Election Votes % # Seats +/– Leading candidate Status in legislature
2015 WithinJxSí
1 / 135
 1 Artur Mas Confidence and supply
2017 WithinERC–CatSí
1 / 135
 0 Oriol Junqueras[a] Confidence and supply
2021 WithinJunts
1 / 135
 0 Laura Borràs Coalition(ERC–Junts)
2024 WithinJunts
1 / 135
 0 Carles Puigdemont Opposition

Cortes Generales

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Election Catalonia
Congress Senate
Votes % # Seats +/– Seats +/–
2015 WithinDiL
1 / 47
 1
1 / 16
 1

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^At the time of the election, Junqueras was inpreventive detentioninEstremera(Madrid).

References

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  1. ^"Los afiliados de JxCat validan las listas para el 14-F".El Nacional(in Spanish). Barcelona. ACN. 31 December 2020.Retrieved1 January2021.
  2. ^"L'Independentisme prepara les eleccions amb deu candidatures".
  3. ^"La democracia cristiana independentista toma cuerpo".29 January 2016.
  4. ^"JxCat y Demòcrates se unen para declarar la independencia unilateral".29 December 2020.
  5. ^"Demòcrates pide 'levantar la suspensión' de la DUI cuando acabe la pandemia".9 April 2020.
  6. ^"La República que volem | DEMÒCRATES".28 November 2020.
  7. ^"Demòcrates, un parásito del independentismo que oficializa su xenofobia".
  8. ^"Demòcrates, un parásito del independentismo que oficializa su xenofobia".
  9. ^"Demòcrates reivindica el 24 de juny com el" Dia Nacional dels Països Catalans "".23 June 2020.
  10. ^https:// blogdeasuntospublicos /wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/07/2007_Del-proc%C3%A9s-al- Enigma -las-claves-del-catalanismo.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  11. ^"ERC rompe con Demòcrates tras reunirse con ultras independentistas".6 December 2020.
  12. ^"PDECat-Demòcrates: Una història de deteriorament progressiu | NacióDigital".
  13. ^"La reunión de Costa precipita el divorcio entre Demòcrates y ERC".Archived fromthe originalon 6 December 2022.Retrieved30 May2021.
  14. ^Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017)."Catalonia/Spain".Parties and Elections in Europe.Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2017.Retrieved28 April2019.
  15. ^"Demòcrates, un parásito del independentismo que oficializa su xenofobia".Crónica Global(in Spanish).Retrieved7 March2021.
  16. ^"Un cargo de Demòcrates, aliados de ERC, dice que" no son fascistas, son españoles, que es peor "| El Catalán"(in Spanish). 21 November 2018.Retrieved7 March2021.
  17. ^Ara (6 December 2020)."ERC rompe con Demòcrates por haber asistido a la cumbre independentista con partidos xenófobos".Ara en Castellano(in Spanish).Retrieved7 March2021.
  18. ^"Neix Demòcrates de Catalunya, la refundació independentista d'Unió"(in Catalan). VilaWeb. ACN. 12 July 2015.Retrieved9 July2020.
  19. ^"Registro de Partidos Políticos".sede.mir.gob.es(in Spanish).Ministry of the Interior.Retrieved9 July2020.
  20. ^"Castellà defensa que amb 68 escons hi ha 'legitimitat' per començar el procés cap a la independència"(in Catalan). VilaWeb. 8 August 2015.Retrieved9 July2020.
  21. ^"Un independiente liderará la lista conjunta de CDC y ERC para el 27S aunque gobernaría Mas"(in Spanish). RTVE. EFE. 14 July 2015.Retrieved9 July2020.
  22. ^Masreal, Fidel (6 November 2015)."CDC concurrirá a las generales bajo el nombre de Democràcia i Llibertat".El Periódico de Catalunya(in Spanish). Barcelona.Retrieved9 July2020.
  23. ^"Demòcrates celebra este sábado su congreso fundacional para ser partido de un" nuevo país ""(in Spanish). Barcelona: Europa Press. 6 November 2015.Retrieved9 July2020.
  24. ^Escobar Martí, Marta (13 May 2016)."Demòcrates renuncia al 26-J por el rechazo de CDC".El Nacional(in Spanish). Barcelona.Retrieved9 July2020.
  25. ^Fernández, Antonio (14 July 2016)."El partido de Mas no podrá llamarse 'Partit Democràta Català' por confusión con otro".El Confidencial(in Spanish). Barcelona.Retrieved20 September2016.
  26. ^Barrena, Xabi (14 July 2016)."Interior advierte de que no registrará el nombre del Partit Demòcrata Català".El Periódico de Catalunya(in Spanish).Retrieved20 September2016.
  27. ^"Castellà (Demòcrates):" Si el PDC no cambia su marca habrá un conflicto en Junts pel Sí "".El Periódico de Catalunya(in Spanish). 22 August 2016.Retrieved20 September2016.
  28. ^"Demòcrates de Catalunya pone 4 condiciones al Partit Demòcrata Català para no ir a los tribunales".20 minutos(in Spanish). Agencias. 11 July 2016.Retrieved9 July2020.
  29. ^"CDC ya tiene nuevo nombre: Partit Demòcrata Europeu Català (PDECat)".El Mundo(in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 3 October 2016.Retrieved3 October2016.
  30. ^"Las bases de la antigua Convergència ratifican al PDECAT como el nuevo nombre del partido".eldiario.es(in Spanish). Europa Press. 22 October 2016.Retrieved22 October2016.
  31. ^March, Oriol (13 December 2016)."Voluntaris pel" sí "i porta a porta virtual: Demòcrates engega la campanya del referèndum".Nació Digital(in Catalan). Barcelona.Retrieved9 July2020.
  32. ^"Demòcrates firma el acuerdo para ir con ERC-CatSí:" Es lo que más se parece a una lista transversal "".eldiario.es(in Spanish). Europa Press. 16 November 2017.Retrieved9 July2020.
  33. ^"El independentismo se prepara para afrontar el 28A con listas separadas".eldiario.es(in Spanish). EFE. 18 February 2019.Retrieved11 July2020.
  34. ^"Demòcrates reclama un frente común independentista el 28-A para bloquear las Cortes".El Nacional(in Spanish). Barcelona. 18 February 2019.Retrieved11 July2020.
  35. ^"Demòcrates insiste en la vía unilateral y pide" un pulso total "con el Estado".La Vanguardia(in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 20 July 2019.Retrieved9 July2020.
  36. ^Lamelas, Marcos (17 June 2020)."La coalición de Puigdemont busca romper la CUP, sumar a Demòcrates y diluir el PDeCAT".El Confidencial(in Spanish). Barcelona.Retrieved9 July2020.
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