Spanish populists take hard line on Catalan issue to garner votes

SPAIN’S hard-right has warned of a “permanent coup” in Catalonia as nationalists look set to make big gains in Sunday’s general election following weeks of sometimes violent protests.

As Spanish voters head to the polls for the fourth time in four years, and the second time in 2019, the populist Vox party is predicted to make the largest gains from fears that the separatist Catalan movement is running out of control.

“There’s a permanent coup d’etat in Catalonia,” said Santiago Abascal, the Vox leader, in a pre-election television debate on Monday night. He argued that the conservative Popular Party and the Socialists, which have dominated Spanish politics for decades, were both equally to blame.

Mr Abascal said a Vox government would impose direct rule over Catalonia and order the arrest of Quim Torra, the region’s president, who has promised to continue efforts for independence.

Right-wing parties are now competing on which would take a harder line on the Catalonia issue hoping to attract more votes on Sunday.

Opinion polls show that Vox – which only won its first seats in Spain’s national parliament in April’s general election – is now on target to become Spain’s third-biggest party with 45 seats, up from 24 in the previous ballot.

Spanish politics has remained gridlocked over problems in Catalonia since the region held an illegal referendum in October 2017, which was met with a strong police response from central government.

The tension escalated further last month after separatist leaders responsible for the referendum were handed jail sentences of between nine and 13 years, sparking a fresh wave of violent protests.

Pedro Sánchez, acting prime minister and member of the Socialist party, has been forced back to the polls after failing to form a coalition government following April’s election.

Polling indicates that the political stalemate is likely to continue, with combinations of Left and Right parties unlikely to form a governing majority in Spain’s 350-seat congress.

Mr Sánchez was goaded by his conservative rivals over needing support from Catalan separatist parties to prop up his previous administration in 2018, but the prime minister refused to clarify how he would seek majority support in another fragmented parliament.

Vox is also seeking to capitalise on anger among some Spaniards over the Socialist government’s exhumation of dictator Francisco Franco from a mausoleum last month. Mr Abascal attacked Mr Sánchez for “reviving old hatreds” in Spain.

The Vox leader also promised to stop illegal immigration into the country and deport migrants without papers.