Socialists of Catalonia

Socialists of Catalonia (Catalan: Socialistes de Catalunya, PSC–PSOE)^[1] was an electoral alliance formed to contest the 1977 Spanish Congress of Deputies election in Catalonia, comprising both the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress (PSC–C) and the Catalan Socialist Federation (PSOE).^[2] It was dissolved in 1978 when its two components merged with the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R) into the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC).

Socialists of Catalonia Socialistes de Catalunya
Founded	29 March 1977 (1977-03-29)
Dissolved	16 July 1978 (1978-07-16)
Merged into	Socialists' Party of Catalonia
Ideology	Democratic socialism Catalanism Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Members	See list of members
Politics of Catalonia Political parties Elections

For the Senate of Spain, the alliance supported the aligned Agreement of the Catalans coalition, which was participated by both the PSC–C and the PSOE.^[1]

History

The alliance was conceived within the Catalan parties' efforts at reorganizing the centre-left electoral space ahead of the 1977 Spanish general election. The Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress (PSC–C) under Joan Reventós aimed for establishing a "Candidacy of Socialist Unity" (Catalan: Candidatura d'Unitat Socialista) with other similarly aligned parties, including the Catalan Federation of the PSOE, the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R), the Catalan branch of the People's Socialist Party (PSP) and the Carlist Party of Catalonia (PCC),^[3][4] starting in February 1977 and aimed at the "instauration and consolidation of democracy, which, with respect to Catalonia, implies the reestablishment of the Generalitat".^[5] Contacts took place amid advancements from the PSC–R's "Left Front" of attracting the PSC–C into their alliance, a decision rejected by the latter on the grounds that its political project and that of the Front "absolutely diverged, in terms of motivations and goals".^[6]

Speculation arose in mid-March that negotiations between both the PSOE and the PSC–C were well underway,^[7] and on 29 March it was revealed that an agreement had been signed the previous day, under which both parties would advance towards their eventual merging into a single party. It also provided for the eventual incorporation of the PSC–R ahead of a future unification of the entire Catalan socialist space,^[8][9][10] but because of the agreement's permanent nature, several parties—such as the PSP, the PCC and other minor socialist groups—had been excluded from negotiations, at which these voiced their dissatisfaction by denouncing the "PSOE's hegemonic aspirations".^[11][12][13] Negotiations for the electoral lists' composition ensued throughout April,^[14] and on 4 May it was revealed that the alliance would run under the "Socialists of Catalonia" umbrella,^[2] which would score a decisive win in the election by finishing way ahead of the communist Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC) and the rival Democratic Pact for Catalonia (PDC).^[15]

Composition

Party
	Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress (PSC–C)
	Catalan Socialist Federation (PSOE)

Electoral performance

Congress of Deputies

Congress of Deputies
Election	Catalonia
	Votes	%	#	Seats	+/–
1977	870,362	28.56%	1st	15 / 47	—

References

1. "¿A quién y por qué votar? Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC-PSOE)". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 May 1977. 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. "El frente electoral socialista sigue sin concretarse". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 12 February 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
4. "Izquierdas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 February 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
5. F. LL. P. (25 February 1977). "P.S.C.-Congrés: "No deseamos dos socialismos"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
6. 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.
7. "Como consecuencia de! eventual pacto electoral -desmentido- entre el P.S.C.-C y el P.S.O.E." La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 8 March 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
8. "Está firmado el acuerdo entre el P.S.O.E. y el P.S.C-C". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 March 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
9. Quintà, Alfons (5 April 1977). "Fusión del PSOE y del Partit Socialista de Catalunya (Congrés)". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
10. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (5 April 1977). "La unidad del socialismo catalán es casi un hecho". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
11. "El Partit Socialista Popular Cátala, disgustado por el acuerdo P.S.O.E. - P.S.C. (C)". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 12 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
12. Roses, Joan (16 April 1977). "Josep Badia: "Soy optimista respecto a la legalización"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
13. "La Agrupación de Socialistas Andaluces de Catalunya lamenta su exclusión de la candidatura de Unidad Socialista". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 23 April 1977. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
14. Roses, Joan (29 April 1977). "La candidatura de unidad socialista, prácticamente ultimada". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
15. "La historia del socialismo catalán". www.socialistes.cat (in Catalan). Socialists' Party of Catalonia. Retrieved 16 July 2020.