The Popular Unity Candidacy is a left-wing to far-left pro-Catalan independence political party active primarily in Catalonia,where it has political representation,but also in other autonomous communities in Spain it considers to be part of the Catalan Countries. The CUP traditionally has focused on municipal politics,and is made up of a series of autonomous candidatures that run in local elections. Its presence is strongest within the borders of Catalonia.
Oriol Junqueras i Vies is a Catalan politician and historian. A former mayor of the municipality of Sant Vicençdels Horts in Catalonia,Junqueras served as Vice President of Catalonia from January 2016 to October 2017,when he was removed from office following the Catalan declaration of independence and entered prison until June 2021 for his role in organizing the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. He is president of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). Born in 1969 in Barcelona,Junqueras grew up in the municipality of Sant Vicençdels Horts. After graduating from the Autonomous University of Barcelona,he taught history at the university.
Maria Carme Forcadell i Lluís is a Spanish politician from Catalonia. She is the former President of the Parliament of Catalonia,as well as a Catalan high school teacher,known for her Catalan independence activism.
Junts pel Sí was a Catalan electoral,political and parliamentary alliance focused on achieving the independence of Catalonia from Spain. Established ahead of the 2015 Catalan regional election,it was formed by Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC),Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC),Democrats of Catalonia (DC),Left Movement (MES) and Independence Rally (RI.cat),as well as a number of independent personalities from pro-independence sectors of civil society,including the pro-independence organizations Catalan National Assembly,Òmnium and the Association of Municipalities for Independence. The Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) had been invited to participate in the alliance,but refused to do so and ran on its own instead,citing its disagreement with the presence of politicians in the list.
The 2017 Catalan regional election was held on Thursday 21 December 2017 to elect the 12th Parliament of the autonomous community of Catalonia. All 135 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was called by Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy after the invocation of Article 155 of the 1978 Spanish Constitution to enforce direct rule in Catalonia and the subsequent dismissal of the Catalan government under President Carles Puigdemont. The three pro-Catalan independence parties won a slim majority of parliamentary seats,claiming 70 out of 135,but fell short of a majority in the popular vote by securing 47.6% of the share.
Clara Ponsatíi Obiols is a Spanish economist and politician. She was appointed Minister of Education of the Government of Catalonia by President Carles Puigdemont on 14 July 2017,and was dismissed by the Spanish Government pursuant to Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution on 27 October 2017,due to the organisation of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent declaration of independence. On 30 October 2017,she went into exile in Brussels together with Carles Puigdemont and three other members of his government,Lluís Puig,Antoni Comín and Meritxell Serret. In May 2018,she returned to the University of St Andrews (Scotland) as a professor. In the 2019 Spanish municipal elections,she was placed last on the list of the candidacy Barcelona és capital - Primàries,led by Jordi Graupera. Since February 2020,she is a Member of the European Parliament within the Junts i Lliures per Europa grouping.
A constitutional crisis took place in Spain from 2017 to 2018 as the result of a political conflict between the Government of Spain and the Generalitat de Catalunya under the then-President Carles Puigdemont—the government of the autonomous community of Catalonia until 28 October 2017—over the issue of Catalan independence. It started after the law intending to allow the 2017 Catalan independence referendum was denounced by the Spanish government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and subsequently suspended by the Constitutional Court until it ruled on the issue. Some international media outlets have described the events as "one of the worst political crises in modern Spanish history".
Together for Catalonia was an electoral and parliamentary alliance in Catalonia,registered as a political party in the interior ministry in July 2018,originally envisaged as a platform comprising the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT),successor of the late Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC),and independents and centered around the candidacy of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont ahead of the 2017 Catalan regional election. Some of these independents went on to form the Action for the Republic (AxR) political party,which is also part of the alliance in the Parliament of Catalonia.
Anna Gabriel i Sabaté is a Catalan social pedagogue,adjunct professor in law and politician from Spain. She was a member of Catalan Parliament between 2015 and 2017,representing the radical left pro-Catalan independence political party,Popular Unity Candidacy. Since February 2018,she has been in exile in Geneva,Switzerland.
Elsa Artadi i Vila is a Spanish economist,academic and politician from Catalonia. Artadi is a member of the Parliament of Catalonia and was previously Minister of the Presidency and Government Spokesperson of Catalonia.
Mireia Boya Busquet is a Catalan scientist,activist,and politician from Spain. She is a councilor of the Aran municipality of Les. Since February 2018 she has been part of the national secretariat of the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP). She was a member of the Catalan Parliament from 2016 to 2017.
Elisenda Alamany i Gutiérrez is a Spanish teacher and politician,currently serving as a member of the City Council of Barcelona,since June 2019. From January 2018 to April 2019 she was a deputy in the 12th Legislature of the Parliament of Catalonia. Initially part of the coalition Catalunya en Comú–Podem,she was the spokesperson for its parliamentary group from 18 January to 29 October 2018. In October 2018,she promoted the platform Sobiranistes (Sovereigntists) as a criticism of the leadership of En ComúPodem. In February 2019 she left the parliamentary group but kept her seat. On 24 February 2019,she announced the creation of the party Nova.
Gabriela Serra i Frediani is a Spanish teacher and politician. An advocate of Catalan independence,she was a deputy in the Parliament of Catalonia for the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) from October 2015 to October 2017.
Albert Botran i Pahissa is a Spanish historian and politician from Catalonia and a former member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain. He was previously a member of the Parliament of Catalonia.
Mireia Vehíi Cantenys is a Spanish sociologist and politician from Catalonia,who served as Member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain. She was previously a member of the Parliament of Catalonia.
Eulàlia Reguant i Cura is a Spanish politician. From 2015 to 2017 she represented the constituency of Barcelona in the Parliament of Catalonia,where she was a member of the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP). From 2017 to 2019 she was a councilor in the City Council of Barcelona.
The 2024 Catalan regional election will be held on Sunday,12 May 2024,to elect the 14th Parliament of the autonomous community of Catalonia. All 135 seats in the Parliament will be up for election.
Montserrat Nebrera González is a Spanish politician and university lecturer.
The 2023 Barcelona City Council election,also the 2023 Barcelona municipal election,was held on Sunday,28 May 2023,to elect the 12th City Council of the municipality of Barcelona. All 41 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.
Lorena Roldán Suárez is a Spanish politician. She has served as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia (2015–) and a Senator (2018–2021). Previously a member of Citizens,she joined the People's Party in 2020.
