Colau-PSC deal at an end
54% of those who voted want an end to agreement with the PSC; Colau will attempt to see the mandate out in minority, seeking support on specific issues
The political upheaval of Catalan politics has finally brought an end to the government of BComú and the PSC in the Barcelona the City Council after just one year and a half. The decision is a direct consequence of a consultation convened between militants and sympathizers of the party led by Ada Colau and where 54% of participants, a total of 2,059, voted in favour of breaking the coalition due to the support of the Socialists for the PP suspending self-government by means of the application of article 155. In contrast, 1,736 (45%) voted to maintain the agreement, a figure that reveals the strong internal division that the debate has sparked.
The PSC’s leader in the Council, Jaume Collboni reacted in a Tweet “Now is the time to rebuild, not to cause more ruptures. Barcelona and its citizens must come first.” Carboni will remain as second deputy mayor of the city. The party in general laments that the agreement is broken as it was based on concentrating on municipal, rather than national issues.
BComú’s deputy mayor Gerardo Pisarello blamed the Socialists for the break saying that if the PSOE had not supported the PP in Article 155, there would have been no need to question the agreement.
Ada Colau now faces a difficult time as with one and a half years yet to run in her mandate, she will need to look for support on specific questions and not be guaranteed that she can fulfil her programme. As part of the consultation she had promised party members and supporters that the vote was specifically to sanction continuance or not with the PSC and not to lay the groundwork for an agreement with other groups.