Left Movement

Left Movement[2] (Catalan: Moviment d'Esquerres, MES) is a social-democratic, pro-independence political party in Catalonia.[1] The party was founded in November 2014 from the merger of New Catalan Left (NECat) and Catalonia Movement (Moviment Catalunya), which had both been formed by dissident members of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) who were dissatisfied with what they saw as the party's lack of support for the independence movement.[3][4] Its founders included Marina Geli (Moviment Catalunya) and Ernest Maragall (NECat), but both have ever since left for other parties—Geli joined the Together for Catalonia alliance ahead of the 2017 Catalan regional election,[5] whereas Maragall defected to Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) in 2018.[6]

Left Movement

Moviment d'Esquerres
LeaderAlfons Palacios
Founded30 November 2014
Merger ofNew Catalan Left
Catalonia Movement
Split fromSocialists' Party of Catalonia
HeadquartersBarcelona
IdeologySocial democracy[1]
Catalan independence[1]
Political positionCentre-left
Regional affiliationJunts pel Sí (2015–17)
Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes (2017–20)
Together for Catalonia (2020–present)
Parliament of Catalonia
1 / 135
Website
mesesquerres.cat

History

The party had its roots in the severe internal crisis affecting the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) following its defeat in the 2010 Catalan regional election and the rise in support for Catalan independence following the 11 September 2012 demonstration. On 15 December 2012, former regional minister and Pasqual Maragall's brother Ernest Maragall, who had left the PSC in October, announced his New Catalan Left (NECat) party,[7] aiming to re-organize the Socialist space in Catalonia with Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV), the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) and dissidents from the PSC.[8] In June 2014, the PSC's internal current Avancem, which had been established in May 2012 and was led by deputy in the Parliament of Catalonia Joan Ignasi Elena,[9] split from its mother party and allied with NECat.[10] In July 2014, Catalonia Movement (Moviment Catalunya), a party supported by PSC members Montserrat Tura, Marina Geli and Antoni Castells, among others,[11] was established with the goal of fielding candidates in the 2015 Spanish local elections that supported Catalanism and pro-independence stances.[12][13]

The three parties entered talks in August 2014 to discuss their merging into a new political party,[14][15] with all three sharing their political action in the ensuing months, such as their presence in the 2014 "V" Catalan Way or their joint public response to the 2014 Catalan self-determination referendum.[16][17] As merger discussions continued, Avancem dropped out on 12 November, citing political disagreements with Moviment despite a "total agreement" existing with NECat.[18][19] An agrement between NECat and Moviment was reached on 20 November,[20] and ten days later both parties would officialize their merger into the newly-established "Left Movement" (MES).[21][22]

MES would run in the upcoming 24 May 2015 local elections, signing electoral alliances with ERC in 45 municipalities, with ICV in 4 and running on its own in a further 15.[23][24] The party secured a total of 106 councillors, of which 37 came from the municipalities where it ran on its own and the remaining ones from its electoral agreements with ERC and ICV.[25] On 26 June 2015, Magda Casamitjana was appointed as new MES president.[26] Under her leadership, the party, which had considered joining the electoral coalition being negotiated by Podemos and ICV,[27] ultimately brought itself into the Junts pel Sí pro-independence alliance with ERC and Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) ahead of the 2015 Catalan regional election.[28][29] On 9 July 2016, Alfons Palacios replaced Casamitjana as party leader,[30] and since 2017 it has been part of the Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes alliance.[31]

Electoral performance

Parliament of Catalonia
Parliament of Catalonia
Election Votes % # Seats +/– Leading candidate Status in legislature
2015 Within JxSí
1 / 135
 1 Artur Mas Confidence and supply
2017 Within ERC–CatSí
1 / 135
 0 Oriol Junqueras[lower-alpha 1] Confidence and supply
2021 Within Junts
0 / 135
 Laura Borràs TBD

Notes
  1. At the time of the election, Junqueras was in preventive detention in Estremera (Madrid).

References
  1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Catalonia/Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  2. Gillespie, Richard (11 November 2019). Barcelona, the Left and the Independence Movement in Catalonia. Routledge. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-3510-4685-5.
  3. Julià, Núria (30 November 2014). "Neix Moviment d'Esquerres, partit del socialisme sobiranista" (in Catalan). VilaWeb. ACN. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  4. "Moviment d'Esquerres cierra 45 listas con ERC para las elecciones municipales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. "Marina Geli irá finalmente en la lista de JuntsxCat". El Nacional (in Spanish). Barcelona. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  6. "Ernest Maragall se afilia a ERC tras cuatro años colaborando con el partido". eldiario.es (in Spanish). EFE. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  7. "Queda constituido el partido Nova Esquerra Catalana, liderado por E. Maragall". La Información (in Spanish). Sitges (Barcelona). 15 December 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  8. "Maragall propone una alianza de toda la izquierda independentista que incluya a ERC, ICV, CUP, NECat y los díscolos del PSC". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 3 March 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  9. Ellakuría, Iñaki (20 May 2012). "Elena y cuadros del PSC impulsan un movimiento político interno". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  10. Noguer, Miquel (28 June 2014). "Avancem rompe con el PSC y se alía con Nova Esquerra Catalana". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  11. González, Sara (27 May 2014). "Els crítics del PSC anuncien la creació d'una nova marca electoral". Ara (in Catalan). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  12. "Els crítics del PSC fan el pas i creen el 'Moviment Catalunya'" (in Catalan). VilaWeb. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  13. Planas, Pablo (7 July 2014). "'Moviment Catalunya', una plataforma para enterrar al PSC". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  14. "Avancem y Nova Esquerra Catalana se fusionarán para crear un nuevo partido". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. ACN. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  15. "Moviment Catalunya se inclina por aliarse con Avancem y NECat en las municipales de 2015". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  16. "NECat, Avancem y Moviment Catalunya acuden juntos a la 'V' y anuncian más acciones unidos". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Europa Press. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  17. "NeCat, Avancem y Moviment piden a Mas elecciones con objetivo "constituyente"". eldiario.es (in Spanish). EFE. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  18. "Avancem descarta por ahora fusionarse con NECat y Moviment Catalunya" (in Spanish). Barcelona: Europa Press. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  19. "NECat y Moviment Catalunya confían en recuperar a Avancem para fusionarse en un partido". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  20. "Nova Esquerra y Moviment Catalunya se unen y crean un partido". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 20 November 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  21. "Nace el partido MES, que fusiona a NECat y Moviment Catalunya". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 30 November 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  22. Rico, José (1 December 2014). "La diáspora del PSC se reagrupa para concurrir a las municipales". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  23. Fernández Guerrero, David (24 January 2015). "Los críticos del PSC se alían con ERC en 45 municipios de Cataluña". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  24. "MES solo consigue presentarse en solitario en 15 municipios". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 15 March 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  25. "Moviment d'Esquerres obté 37 regidors en els municipis on s'ha presentat en solitari". Ara (in Catalan). Barcelona. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  26. "Magda Casamitjana, nueva líder de Moviment d'Esquerres". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  27. García Sastre, Daniel (28 June 2015). "'Lista única', ofensiva final". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  28. Sorolla, José Antonio (16 July 2015). "Una lista contra podemos y las encuestas". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  29. "MES donarà suport a la candidatura Junts pel Sí el 27-S". Ara (in Catalan). Barcelona. Europa Press. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  30. "El maresmense Alfons Palacios nuevo presidente del Moviment d'Esquerres". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Mataró. 10 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  31. Gisbert, Josep; Tort, Àlex (7 November 2017). "El independentismo trabaja en un frente común más allá de las listas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
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