Catalan Politics

The Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalunya) sits in the Palau de la Generalitat, an 18th century former military building that was converted into a royal palace in 1889, is located in Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona. It has a president, currently José Montilla, 135 sitting members who are elected by proportional representation and governs Catalunya as an autonomous community (comunitat autònoma in Catalan and comunidad autónoma in Spanish) within Spain.

Parties and groups

The Generalitat is made up members elected from different parties with differing agendas some of whom form coalitions within Parliament. The following is a brief summary of those groups and their parties.

Grup Parlamentari de Convergència i Unió (CiU)

CDC - Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya

Unió Democràtica de Catalunya

ambiguous on independence though supports increased autonomy

48 seats in total

Grup Parlamentari Socialistes - Ciutadans pel Canvi (PSC-CpC)

PSC - Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya

CpC - Ciutadans-Partit de la Ciutadania - against independence from Spain but in favour of autonomy (3 seats)

37 seats in total

Grup Parlamentari d'Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Esquerra)

ERC - Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya - pro independence

21 seats

Grup Parlamentari del Partit Popular de Catalunya (PPC)

PPC - Partit Popular de Catalunya

14 seats

Grup Parlamentari d'Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds - Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (ICV-EUiA) coolition of greens

12 seats in total

Grup Mixt

Partit de la Ciutadania (independent candidates)

3 seats in total