New election in Catalonia is still likely

THE POLITICAL situation in Catalonia continues to be confused although it now seems more than likely that Artur Mas will have to accept the fact the Catalonia will have to hold new elections in the near future. 

Antonio Baños, the leading CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy) spokesman during the three months of failed negotiations with Junts Pel Sí (Together For Yes) to re-appoint Artur Mas First Minister of the region, resigned his seat as a regional MP on Monday December 4, one day after his party’s political council decided to definitively reject the re-appointment of Mr. Mas as he believed that he was elected in order to see the province move to independence.

On December 5 in an impassioned press conference, Artur Mas made it very clear to the world his opinion of the rejection by CUP saying “My error, the error of Junts Pel Sí, was to trust in the CUP’s sense of nationhood”.

“The CUP’s error is gigantic”, he said, adding later that: “The process is dead” but indicated that he would still welcome a last minute deal to allow for his confirmation as First Minister but it had to be before the weekend or he would have no option but to sign a decree calling for new elections on Monday, January 11.