Democratic Pact for Catalonia

The Democratic Pact for Catalonia (Catalan: Pacte Democràtic per Catalunya, PDC or PDpC) was a Catalan electoral alliance established in May 1977 ahead of the Spanish Congress of Deputies 15 June election.[1] It ran on a political platform emphasizing the need of approving a statute of autonomy for Catalonia.[2] The coalition comprised members from two separate, previously established alliances: Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) and Democratic Left of Catalonia (EDC) from the Democratic Front for Catalonia (Catalan: Front Democràtic per Catalunya, FDC),[3] and the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R) and the National Front of Catalonia (FNC) from the Left Front (Catalan: Front d'Esquerres, FdE).[1][4][5]

Democratic Pact for Catalonia
Pacte Democràtic per Catalunya
AbbreviationPDC, PDpC
LeaderJordi Pujol
Founded3 January 1977 (1977-01-03) (Democratic Front)
11 March 1977 (1977-03-11) (Left Front)
3 May 1977 (1977-05-03) (Democratic Pact)
Dissolved1978 (1978)
Succeeded byConvergence and Union
IdeologyCatalan nationalism
Autonomism
Liberalism
Social liberalism
Political positionCentre to centre-left
MembersSee list of members

It obtained 514,647 votes (16.88% of the vote in Catalonia, 2.81% of the votes in Spain) and 11 deputies, of which 5 were for CDC, 4 for PSC–R and 2 for EDC. Its leader was Jordi Pujol. Shortly after the election, the coalition dissolved, as the PSC–R joined the Catalan Federation of the PSOE and the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress to form the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), while CDC (into which EDC was merged in 1978) joined with Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) to form Convergence and Union (CiU).

History

The alliance had its origins in an electoral platform formed in October 1976 by the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R), initially attracting the interest of Democratic Left of Catalonia (EDC) and Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), to promote a "Left Front" ahead of the upcoming legislative election in Spain, inviting parties from the centre and centre-left, such as Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) or the Socialist Convergence of Catalonia (CSC)—the latter of which would merge with other parties and organizations into the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress (PSC–C) in November that year—to join it.[6][7][8] EDC disengaged from the platform in December 1976 and reached an electoral alliance with Jordi Pujol's CDC instead,[9][10][11] whereas the Left Front was joined by the National Front of Catalonia (FNC) and Catalan State (EC) and formally constituted as an electoral coalition on 11 March 1977.[12][13] The PSC–C rejected joining the Front, on the grounds that their two political projects "absolutely diverged, in terms of motivations and goals", exploring instead an electoral alliance with the Catalan Federation of the PSOE for the Congress of Deputies, as well as the Agreement of the Catalans unitary coalition for the Senate.[14]

Throughout the subsequent weeks, contacts would be maintained with other parties for a possible expansion of the Front to the entire Catalan democratic and socialist left—and into a "Socialist and Democratic Bloc of Catalonia" (Catalan: Bloc Socialista y Democrátic de Catalunya)—but this came at the risk of compromising the Front's internal cohesion.[15][16] Amid these expansion attempts, CDC's Jordi Pujol sought to incorporate the PSC–R, ERC and Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) into his "Democratic Front for Catalonia" alliance with EDC in order to establish a Catalanist bloc as broader as possible.[17][18] While UDC was favourable to entering a coalition with CDC, it did not want to foregone its agreement with the Catalan Centre, the Union of the Centre and Christian Democracy of Catalonia (UCiDCC), and saw the proposal as absent of a larger degree of programatic concretion;[19] EDC fully supported Pujol's proposal, whereas ERC and the PSC–R were initially only willing to consider alliances within the umbrella of their Left Front,[20][21] as long as they respected their "Catalan Solidarity" proposal of post-election joint political action.[22][23]

By late April, chances of UDC joining the CDC–EDC "Democratic Front" vanished after the former stuck to its UCiDCC alliance with the Catalan Centre,[24] but negotiations continued between Pujol's alliance and the parties comprising the Left Front,[25][26] resulting in the breakup of the latter and in the PSC–C and the FNC joining the CDC–EDC's coalition, rebranded as the "Democratic Pact for Catalonia", for the Congress of Deputies election.[2][27][28] whereas ERC and EC were left out from the candidacy.[29] A preliminary agreement had also been reached with the Social Democratic Party of Catalonia (PSDC),[30] but it failed to materialize as the PSDC would attempt an alliance with the People's Party of Catalonia (PPC) and into the Union of the Democratic Centre in Catalonia (UCD).[31]

Composition
Party
Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC)
Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R)
Democratic Left of Catalonia (EDC)
National Front of Catalonia (FNC)

Electoral performance

Nationwide
Congress of Deputies
Election Votes  % # Seats +/– Leading candidate Status in legislature
1977 514,647 2.81% 6th
11 / 350
 — Jordi Pujol Opposition

Regional breakdown
Election Catalonia
Votes  % # Seats +/–
1977 514,647 16.88% 4th
11 / 47
 —

See also

References
  1. "Pacte Democràtic per Catalunya". www.enciclopedia.cat (in Catalan). Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (4 May 1977). "Con la formación de siete coaliciones se clarifica el panorama catalán". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  3. "Front Democràtic per Catalunya". www.enciclopedia.cat (in Catalan). Diccionari dels Partits Polítics de Catalunya, segle XX. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. "Coaliciones de ámbito regional". ABC (in Spanish). 5 May 1977. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  5. "Cataluña: domina la autonomía". ABC (in Spanish). 25 May 1977. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  6. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (7 October 1976). "En la alianza electoral de centro-izquierda no se incluirán de momento nuevos partidos". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  7. "El consell polític del P.S.C.-ex Reagrupament ratifica la idea del "Front d'esquérres"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 26 October 1976. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  8. "FIGUERAS: Pallach invita a Joan Reventós a formar parte de una alianza de izquierdas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 26 October 1976. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  9. "Un voto en contra de la Permanente de Convergencia Democrática retrasa el acuerdo Trías Fargas-Pujol". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 December 1976. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  10. S. B. (4 January 1977). "Después de Reyes se hará público un comunicado conjunto de Convergencia Democrática y Esquerra Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  11. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (5 January 1977). "El acuerdo con Esquerra Democrática no escinde a Convergencia Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  12. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (19 February 1977). "El Front d'Esquerres, a punto de constituirse". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  13. Canals, Enric (12 March 1977). "Nace un "frente de Izquierdas" en Cataluña". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  14. S. B. (15 March 1977). "El Partit Socialista de Catalunya (Congrés) en total desacuerdo con el Front d'Esquerres". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  15. "Posible creación de un Bloc Socialista y Democrátic de Catalunya". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 18 March 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  16. Llorens Pascual, F. (22 March 1977). "Reforma Social Catalana, dispuesta a integrarse en el Front d'Esquerres". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  17. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (26 March 1977). "Jordi Pujol podría renunciar a presentarse como candidato a diputado". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  18. "Jordi Pujol se ofrece a ocupar el quinto lugar en la lista electoral del centro izquierda". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 1 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  19. Roses, Joan (13 April 1977). "U.D.C. propone un programa electoral al Front Democrátic". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  20. "Reacciones no desfavorables a la propuesta lanzada por el líder de Convergència Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  21. "Cataluña, adelantada del centro". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 6 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  22. "Solidaritat Catalana, propuesta postelectoral del Front d'Esquerres". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 12 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  23. "Tarradellas no se pronuncia sobre su regreso antes de las elecciones". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 13 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  24. "Cada vez más remota la posibilidad de pacto entre Unió Democrática y Convergencia y Esquerra Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 23 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  25. Llorens Pascual, F. (27 April 1977). "Convergencia sigue negociando con la Unió Democrática y con el Front d'Esquerras". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  26. "Centros". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 28 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  27. "Convergencia y Esquerra Democráticas pactarían con el P.S.C.-R y el Front Nacional". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  28. "Operación". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 30 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  29. "Esquerra Republicana y Estat Català no se han integrado en el Pacte Democràtic per Catalunya por divergencias estratégicas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 May 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  30. "Acuerdo Jordi Pujol-Jaume Casanovas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 1 May 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  31. ""Unió de Centre Democràtic de Catalunya" presenta su lista de candidatos al Congreso y al Senado". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 May 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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