Democratic Left of Catalonia

Democratic Left of Catalonia (Catalan: Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya, EDC) was a political party in Catalonia (Spain). EDC was founded in 1975 as the Catalan Liberal Party (Catalan: Partit Liberal Català), and ideologically it defined itself as "radical liberal" and federalist.[1][2] It was merged into Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) on 27 June 1978.[3]

Democratic Left of Catalonia

Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya
Secretary-GeneralRamón Trías Fargas
Founded1975 (1975)
Dissolved27 June 1978 (1978-06-27)
Merged intoDemocratic Convergence of Catalonia
IdeologyCatalan nationalism[1]
Social liberalism[2]
Federalism[1][2]
Liberalism[1]
Political positionCentre to centre-left
National affiliationDemocratic Pact for Catalonia (1977–78)
Democracy and Catalonia (1977–78)
International affiliationLiberal International

History

EDC was initially known as the Catalan Liberal Party (PLC) and was a member of the Liberal International.[1] The PLC/EDC was also a part of the Coordinating Commission of Political Forces of Catalonia, the main pro-democracy opposition body of Catalonia at the time. The original ideology of the group was radical liberalism, including federalism, co-management and the nationalization of large enterprises.[2] In April 1976 a sector led by Jaume Casanovas split from the party and founded the Social Democratic Party of Catalonia (PSDC).[4] On 24 September 1976, together with the People's Democratic Party, the Social-Liberal Coalition was established.[5]

In January 1977, the party signed a political alliance with Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC),[6][7][8] which ahead of the 1977 Spanish general election would transform into the Democratic Pact for Catalonia (PDC) coalition for the Congress of Deputies, together with CDC, the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R) and the National Front of Catalonia (FNC). The party would secure two seats out of the eleven won by the alliance, which were occupied by Ramón Trías Fargas and Maciá Alavedra, both for the Barcelona constituency. For the concurrent Spanish Senate election, EDC joined the Democracy and Catalonia coalition, comprising all four PDC parties together with the Catalan Centre (CC) and the Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC),[9][10] which won two senators, although none was for EDC.

In December 1977, a group of party members left the party to found the Catalan Association of the Liberal Left,[11] which would end up joining Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) in August 1978. The rest of the party would be merged into CDC in June 1978.[3][12]

Electoral performance

Nationwide
Cortes Generales
Election Congress Senate Leading candidate Status in legislature
Votes % # Seats +/– Seats +/–
1977 Within PDC/DiC
2 / 350
 —
0 / 207
 — Jordi Pujol Opposition

Regional breakdown
Election Catalonia
Congress Senate
Votes % # Seats +/– Seats +/–
1977 Within PDC/DiC
2 / 47
 —
0 / 16
 —

References
  1. "Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya". www.enciclopedia.cat (in Catalan). Diccionari dels Partits Polítics de Catalunya, segle XX. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. Culla i Clarà, Joan B. (1989). "L'evolució de l'espai centrista a Catalunya (1976-1982)" (PDF). Working Papers (in Catalan). Barcelona: Institut de Ciències Polítiques i Socials (4). Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. Canals, Enric (28 June 1978). "Consumada la fusión de CDC y Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. "Don Jaume Casanovas abandona Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya". Informaciones (in Spanish). 23 April 1976. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. "El Partido Demócrata Popular (PDP)". El País (in Spanish). 25 September 1976. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. "Un voto en contra de la Permanente de Convergencia Democrática retrasa el acuerdo Trías Fargas-Pujol". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 December 1976. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  7. S. B. (4 January 1977). "Después de Reyes se hará público un comunicado conjunto de Convergencia Democrática y Esquerra Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  8. Sáenz-Díez, Margarita (5 January 1977). "El acuerdo con Esquerra Democrática no escinde a Convergencia Democrática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  9. 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.
  10. Roses, Joan (5 May 1977). "Se perfilan las opciones para el Senado". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  11. "Escisión en Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya". El País (in Spanish). 27 December 1977. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  12. Canals, Enric (21 May 1978). "Inminente fusión de los partidos de Pujol y Trías Fargas". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
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