Next Catalan regional election

Last updated
Next Catalan regional election
Flag of Catalonia.svg
  2024 No later than 26 June 2028

All 135 seats in the Parliament of Catalonia
68 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
  Salvador Illa 2024 (cropped).jpg Carles Puigdemont 2024 (cropped).jpg Oriol Junqueras 2021 (cropped).jpg
Leader Salvador Illa Carles Puigdemont Oriol Junqueras
Party PSC–PSOE Cat–Junts+ ERC
Leader since30 December 202021 March 202414 December 2024
Leader's seat Barcelona Barcelona
Last election42 seats, 28.0%35 seats, 21.6%20 seats, 13.7%
Current seats423520
Seats needed Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 26 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 33 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 48

  Alejandro Fernandez 2018 (cropped).jpg Ignacio Garriga (cropped).jpg (Jessica Albiach) El somriure dels pobles (27544698142) (cropped).jpg
Leader Alejandro Fernández Ignacio Garriga Jéssica Albiach
Party PP Vox Comuns Sumar
Leader since10 November 201810 August 202018 September 2018
Leader's seat Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona
Last election15 seats, 11.0%11 seats, 8.0%6 seats, 5.8%
Current seats15116
Seats needed Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 53 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 57 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 62

  Portrait placeholder.svg Portrait placeholder.svg
Leader TBD Sílvia Orriols
Party CUP–DT Aliança.cat
Leader since28 October 2020
Leader's seat Girona
Last election4 seats, 4.1%2 seats, 3.8%
Current seats42
Seats needed Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 64 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg 66

Incumbent President

Salvador Illa
PSC



A regional election will be held in Catalonia no later than Monday, 26 June 2028, to elect the 16th Parliament of the autonomous community. All 135 seats in the Parliament will be up for election.

Contents

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of Catalonia is the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Catalonia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president. [1] As a result of no regional electoral law having been approved since the re-establishment of Catalan autonomy, the electoral procedure comes regulated under Transitory Provision Fourth of the 1979 Statute, supplemented by the provisions within the national electoral law. [2] [a] Voting for the Parliament is on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprises all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Catalonia and in full enjoyment of their political rights. [2] [4]

The 135 members of the Parliament of Catalonia are elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of three percent of valid votes—which includes blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats are allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, with each being allocated a fixed number of seats: [2] [5]

SeatsConstituencies
85 Barcelona
18 Tarragona
17 Girona
15 Lleida

In smaller constituencies, the use of the electoral method results in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies. [6]

The law does not provide for by-elections to fill vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occur after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislature's term will be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when needed, by the designated substitutes, of which the list may include up to ten. [7]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of Catalonia expires four years after the date of its previous election, unless it is dissolved earlier. The regional president is required to call an election fifteen days prior to the date of expiry of parliament, with election day taking place within from forty to sixty days after the call. [2] [8] [9] The previous election was held on 12 May 2024, which means that the legislature's term will expire on 12 May 2028. The election is required to be called no later than 27 April 2028, with it taking place up to the sixtieth day from the call, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Monday, 26 June 2028.

The president has the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament of Catalonia and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence is in process and that dissolution does not occur before one year has elapsed since a previous one under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament is to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. [9]

Parliamentary composition

The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the chamber at the present time.

Current parliamentary composition
GroupsPartiesLegislators
SeatsTotal
Socialists' and United to Advance
Parliamentary Group
PSC 4142
Els Units 1
Together's Parliamentary Group JxCat 3435
DC 1
Republican Left of Catalonia's Parliamentary Group ERC 2020
People's Party of Catalonia's Parliamentary Group PP 1515
Vox's Parliamentary Group in Catalonia Vox 1111
Commons Parliamentary Group CatComú 56
SMR 1
Mixed Group CUP 46
Aliança.cat 2

Parties and candidates

The electoral law allows for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election are required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors need to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they seek election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties, federations or coalitions that have not obtained a parliamentary mandate at the preceding election are required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of electors in the aforementioned constituencies. [10] Amendments to the electoral law in 2024 increased requirements for a balanced composition of men and women in the lists of candidates, so that candidates of either sex are ordered in an alternative manner. [11]

Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which will likely contest the election:

CandidacyParties and
alliances
Leading candidateIdeologyPrevious resultGov.Ref.
Vote %Seats
PSC–PSOE
List
Salvador Illa 2024 (cropped).jpg Salvador Illa Social democracy 28.0%42Check-green.svg
Cat–Junts+
List
Carles Puigdemont 2024 (cropped).jpg Carles Puigdemont Catalan independence
Sovereigntism
Populism
21.6%35Dark Red x.svg
ERC Oriol Junqueras 2021 (cropped).jpg Oriol Junqueras Catalan independence
Left-wing nationalism
Social democracy
13.7%20Dark Red x.svg [12]
[13]
PP
List
Alejandro Fernandez 2018 (cropped).jpg Alejandro Fernández Conservatism
Christian democracy
11.0%15Dark Red x.svg
Vox
List
Ignacio Garriga (cropped).jpg Ignacio Garriga Right-wing populism
Ultranationalism
National conservatism
8.0%11Dark Red x.svg
Comuns
Sumar
List
(Jessica Albiach) El somriure dels pobles (27544698142) (cropped).jpg Jéssica Albiach Left-wing populism
Direct democracy
Eco-socialism
5.8%6Dark Red x.svg
CUP–DT
List
Portrait placeholder.svg TBD Catalan independence
Anti-capitalism
Socialism
4.1%4Dark Red x.svg
Aliança.cat
List
Portrait placeholder.svg Sílvia Orriols Catalan independence
Hispanophobia
Right-wing populism
3.8%2Dark Red x.svg

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll.

Graphical summary

OpinionPollingCataloniaRegionalElectionNext.svg
Local regression trend line of poll results from 12 May 2024 to the present day, with each line corresponding to a political party.

Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 68 seats are required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Catalonia.

Polling firm/CommissionerFieldwork dateSample sizeTurnout Logotip del PSC 2021.svg Junts per Catalunya (2020).svg ERC icono 2017.svg Logo PP Cataluna 2022.svg VOX logo.svg Comuns Sumar sin fondo.svg Logo CUP 2025.svg Isotipo de Alianca Catalana.svg Logo de Podemos (2022).svg SALF Lead
Vox [p 1] 2 Sep 20251,000?23.9
36
18.4
29
15.8
23
10.1
15
10.6
16
6.2
7
3.2
3
6.0
6
5.5
Opinòmetre/CEO [p 2] 30 May–28 Jun 20252,000?26.8
40/42
17.5
28/30
14.5
21/23
10.3
14/15
9.6
12/14
5.8
5/6
4.5
3/4
7.6
10/11
9.3
NC Report/La Razón [p 3] 16–31 May 202550054.2?
44
?
31
?
18
?
16
?
12
?
5
?
3
?
6
?
The Objective [p 4] 30 Apr 20251,000?29.4
43/45
17.2
27/29
13.2
17/19
10.7
15/17
9.8
13/15
4.6
4/5
2.7
2/3
6.3
8/9
1.1
0
12.2
Opinòmetre/CEO [p 5] 14 Feb–14 Mar 20252,000?27.2
41/43
17.0
27/29
14.4
21/23
10.9
14/16
8.4
10/12
7.0
6/7
4.1
3/4
6.2
8/10
10.2
GESOP/CEO [p 6] 11 Oct–24 Nov 20242,000?27.4
39/42
18.7
30/32
13.8
20/21
10.6
15/16
7.5
10/11
6.6
6/7
5.7
5/6
5.0
6/7
8.7
NC Report/La Razón [p 7] 5–12 Jul 20241,00056.529.5
44/45
22.4
35/36
11.1
15/16
11.9
15/16
6.8
9
4.1
3
3.7
3
4.0
5
2.2
2
2.1
2
7.1
GESOP/CEO [p 8] 10 Jun–8 Jul 20242,000?28.0–
32.0

39/45
19.0–
23.0
31/36
13.0–
16.0
19/24
10.0–
13.0
13/18
6.0–
8.0
7/11
5.0–
7.0
5/8
3.0–
5.0
1/6
2.0–
4.0
1/4
9.0
Hamalgama Métrica/Vozpópuli [p 9] 1–4 Jul 20241,000?29.4
44
22.8
36
11.6
17
11.7
16
8.3
11
5.0
5
3.6
3
3.9
3
6.6
Demoscopia y Servicios/The Objective [p 10] 22–24 Jun 20241,000?28.8
43
22.7
36
11.9
17
11.7
16
6.6
10
5.1
5
3.5
3
4.0
5
6.1
ElectoPanel/GMG [p 11] 9–13 Jun 20241,150?30.9
43
23.4
36
11.2
16
12.2
15
8.0
11
5.1
5
3.5
3
4.5
6
7.5
NC Report/La Razón [p 12] 8–10 Jun 20241,00054.429.3
44/45
21.8
34/35
11.5
17/18
11.5
15/16
7.6
10/11
5.4
5
3.8
4
4.1
2/3
2.4
0/2
7.5
2024 EP election 9 Jun 202443.530.6
(46)
18.0
(30)
14.8
(23)
13.8
(20)
6.2
(8)
4.3
(4)
4.6
(4)
2.8
(0)
12.6
2024 regional election 12 May 202455.328.0
42
21.6
35
13.7
20
11.0
15
8.0
11
5.8
6
4.1
4
3.8
2
6.4

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Preferred President

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become president of the Government of Catalonia.

Predicted President

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood for each leader to become president of the Government of Catalonia.

Notes

  1. Transitory Provision Second of the 2006 Statute maintained the validity of the electoral regulations within the 1979 Statute, of application for as long as a specific law regulating the procedures for elections to the Parliament of Catalonia was not approved. [3]

References

Opinion poll sources
  1. "Un sondeo sitúa a Vox por encima del PP en Cataluña en caso de elecciones autonómicas". The Objective (in Spanish). 2 September 2025.
  2. "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 2a onada 2025" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 16 July 2025.
  3. "Macroencuesta Nc Report (II): Los socios sufren la corrupción". La Razón (in Spanish). 3 June 2025.
  4. "El 'efecto Puigdemont' se frena: un sondeo refleja un batacazo de Junts en las catalanas". The Objective (in Spanish). 15 May 2025.
  5. "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 1a onada 2025" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 27 March 2025.
  6. "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 3a onada 2024" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 27 November 2024.
  7. "El PSC y Aliança Catalana, los dos grandes beneficiados si hay repetición electoral". La Razón (in Spanish). 20 July 2024.
  8. "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 2a onada 2024" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 18 July 2024.
  9. "[A] Cataluña. Encuesta Hamalgama Métrica 08/07/2024: PSC 29,4% (44), Cat-Junts+ 22,8% (36), PP 11,7% (16), ERC 11,6% (17), Vox 8,3% (11), Comuns Sumar 5,0% (5), Aliança.cat 3,9% (3), CUP-DT 3,6% (3)". Electográfica (in Spanish). 8 July 2024.
  10. "La caída de ERC en otras elecciones catalanas dejaría a Illa sin tripartito y en manos de PP y Vox". The Objective (in Spanish). 28 June 2024.
  11. "La repetición electoral mantiene la ingobernabilidad catalana y descalabra a ERC, Comunes y la CUP". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 17 June 2024.
  12. "La repetición electoral beneficia al PSC y perjudica a Esquerra: el bloque separatista seguiría hundiéndose". La Razón (in Spanish). 12 June 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 2a onada 2025. Taules estadístiques" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 16 July 2025.
  14. 1 2 "Tendencias y demandas municipales y autonómicas. Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña (Estudio nº 3503. Marzo 2025)". CIS (in Spanish). 1 July 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 1a onada 2025. Taules estadístiques" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 27 March 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 3a onada 2024. Taules estadístiques" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 27 November 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Baròmetre d'Opinió Política. 2a onada 2024. Taules estadístiques" (PDF). CEO (in Catalan). 18 July 2024.
  18. "Barómetro laSexta. Un 66% de los catalanes cree que el presidente de la Generalitat debe ser Salvador Illa". laSexta (in Spanish). 18 May 2024.
Other
  1. EAC (2006) , tit. II, ch. I, art. 55.
  2. 1 2 3 4 EAC (1979) , tran. prov. 4.
  3. EAC (2006), tran. prov. 2.
  4. LOREG (1985) , tit. I, ch. I, art. 2.
  5. LOREG (1985) , tit. II, ch. III, art. 162–164.
  6. Gallagher, Michael (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  7. LOREG (1985) , tit. I, ch. VI, art. 46 & 48.
  8. EAC (2006) , tit. II, ch. I, art. 56.
  9. 1 2 EAC (2006) , tit. II, ch. II, art. 67 & tit. II, ch. IV, art. 75.
  10. LOREG (1985) , tit. I, ch. VI, art. 44 & tit. II, ch. V, art. 169.
  11. LOREG (1985) , tit. I, ch. VI, art. 44 bis.
  12. Puente, Arturo (13 May 2024). "Aragonès anuncia que se va y deja abierta la puerta a que ERC no bloquee la investidura de Illa". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  13. "Junqueras repetirá como presidente de ERC tras lograr el 52% de los votos en la segunda vuelta de las elecciones internas" (in Spanish). RTVE. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2025.

Bibliography