Spain. Socialists form first government in 14 years in Catalonia without separatists

The Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) received the approval of the regional parliament on Thursday to form a new government in the north-eastern region under the leadership of Salvador Illa. Spain. 68 deputies voted in favor of the confidence vote for Illa's cabinet, while 66 were against. This is the first Catalan government in 14 years that was not formed on the basis of separatist groups.

Salvador Illa, former health minister in the Spanish government of Pedro Sanchez, received support mainly from members of his PSC party, confederated with the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), as well as members of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), the latter of which refused to join the new cabinet.

The separatist ERC, which ruled the region under the previous Catalan government of Pere Aragones, has in recent weeks distanced itself from the possibility of supporting Illa's government.

The PSC won the regional elections on May 12, 2024, winning 42 seats in the 135-seat parliament. During negotiations with the ERC, it spoke of efforts to resolve the conflict that arose between Catalonia and Spain after the illegal independence referendum organized by former regional prime minister Carles Puigdemont in 2017.

Puigdemont, the leader of the separatist group Together for Catalonia (Junts), who has been wanted by Spanish services for almost seven years, arrived in Barcelona on Thursday morning, where he met with several thousand of his supporters in front of the regional parliament building.

Shortly after the incident, Puigdemont disappeared despite a police manhunt. According to the opposition Popular Party (PP), the Spanish police poorly coordinated the operation to arrest Puigdemont, who was elected to the Catalan parliament in the May elections. The separatist is believed to have returned to Francewhere he has been living near the Spanish border since April.