News October 2003

Autumn News Theme: Elections in Madrid and Catalonia

Two regions are holding elections for their regional assemblies this autumn, Madrid on 26th October and Catalonia on 16th November

The Madrid election is the re-run of the spring elections for the regional assembly, which could not be established due to the rebellion of two key deputies, thus causing a power vacuum. Polls suggest a victory for the Partido Popular, but no one is certain of victory after the spring's close-run vote.

Catalonia, having a special 'Statute' can choose its own dates for elections, most other regions being held automatically in the spring of each fourth year. This time around the novelty is that for the first time since the current system began, in the early 1980s, the regional 'nationalist' president Jordi Pujol is not a candidate, having finally announced his retirement from politics. His leadership of the Convergencia i Unió coalition is taken over by Artur Mas, whose main opponent is former mayor of Barcelona, socialist Pascual Maragall.