Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party
in Catalonia
, Spain
. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia
, it forms part of the Convergence and Union (Convergència i Unió, CiU) coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International
. Between the early 1980s and early 2000s, it was the main ruling party in Catalonia. Jordi Pujol, the leader of CDC, was president of Catalonia for 23 years. After spending 7 years in opposition, it came back to power in the 2010 parliamentary elections
.
It is the most important political organization in Catalonia with more than 60,000 members, and about 30% of the votes in national elections.
It describes itself as Catalan nationalist
and takes more or less the position of a centre liberal
party in Catalan politics.
The President of Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is Jordi Pujol i Soley
, and its General Secretary is Artur Mas, who is the party's leader.
The section of CDC in the Occitan-speaking Val d'Aran
is known as the Aranese Democratic Convergence
.
In the press and in the media, it is frequently called just Convergència, and its members are known as convergents in Catalan
and convergentes in Spanish
.
In economic issues, CDC takes a liberal stance, defending a favourable business environment. However, it also supports welfare policies, and it's generally considered more pro-welfare than the People's Party
, the major liberal conservative party elsewhere in Spain. The party's founder, Jordi Pujol, was strogly influenced by the Swedish welfare
model, and tries to apply some of its features in Catalonia in the 1980s. However, by the late 1990s, a younger party leadership moved closer to Neo-liberal stances.
In social issues, CDC tends to be more socially liberal than its coalition partner, UDC. In the past decade, CDC has supported gay marriage, stem cell research and the extension of abortion
rights. In these issues, CDC has been closer to the Spanish left than to the right. It was also one of the three parties that voted for the Ban on bullfighting in Catalonia
(the other two were the Catalan Republican Left and the Greens).
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia
Democratic Union of Catalonia
The Democratic Union of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia, it is part of the Convergence and Union coalition.It describes itself as Catalan nationalist and Christian Democrat....
, it forms part of the Convergence and Union (Convergència i Unió, CiU) coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
. Between the early 1980s and early 2000s, it was the main ruling party in Catalonia. Jordi Pujol, the leader of CDC, was president of Catalonia for 23 years. After spending 7 years in opposition, it came back to power in the 2010 parliamentary elections
Catalonian parliamentary election, 2010
Elections to fill 135 seats of the Parliament of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain, were held on Sunday, 28 November 2010.-Electoral process:-Candidatures with current parliamentary representation:...
.
It is the most important political organization in Catalonia with more than 60,000 members, and about 30% of the votes in national elections.
It describes itself as Catalan nationalist
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
and takes more or less the position of a centre liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
party in Catalan politics.
The President of Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is Jordi Pujol i Soley
Jordi Pujol i Soley
Jordi Pujol i Soley is a Catalan politician who was the leader of the party Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya from 1974 to 2003, and President of the Generalitat de Catalunya from 1980 to 2003.-Early life:...
, and its General Secretary is Artur Mas, who is the party's leader.
The section of CDC in the Occitan-speaking Val d'Aran
Val d'Aran
The Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
is known as the Aranese Democratic Convergence
Aranese Democratic Convergence
Aranese Democratic Convergence is a political party in Val d'Aran that forms the Aranese section of CDC. CDA is, along with Unity of Aran, one of the two major parties of the comarca that contest elections for the Aranese General Council...
.
In the press and in the media, it is frequently called just Convergència, and its members are known as convergents in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and convergentes in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Ideology and policies
CDC is usually considered as Catalan nationalist party; this is also the term it uses to describe itself. Both the Spanish and Catalan media perceive it as a moderate nationalist force. However, CDC has a current which advocated Catalan independence from Spain. This current has grown stronger after 2006. The main exponents of the independentist current within CDC are Felip Puig, Oriol Pujol, David Madí, and Àngel Colom. The party's president Artur Mas has stated he would vote in favor of Catalan independence in a theoretical referendum of independence, but he added this would not be his official policy if elected as President of Catalonia.In economic issues, CDC takes a liberal stance, defending a favourable business environment. However, it also supports welfare policies, and it's generally considered more pro-welfare than the People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, the major liberal conservative party elsewhere in Spain. The party's founder, Jordi Pujol, was strogly influenced by the Swedish welfare
Swedish welfare
Social welfare in Sweden is made up of several organizations and systems dealing with welfare. It is mostly funded by taxes, and executed by the public sector on all levels of government as well as private organisations...
model, and tries to apply some of its features in Catalonia in the 1980s. However, by the late 1990s, a younger party leadership moved closer to Neo-liberal stances.
In social issues, CDC tends to be more socially liberal than its coalition partner, UDC. In the past decade, CDC has supported gay marriage, stem cell research and the extension of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
rights. In these issues, CDC has been closer to the Spanish left than to the right. It was also one of the three parties that voted for the Ban on bullfighting in Catalonia
Ban on bullfighting in Catalonia
Bullfighting was banned in the Spanish region of Catalonia by a vote of the Catalan Parliament in July 2010. The ban comes into effect on 1 January 2012...
(the other two were the Catalan Republican Left and the Greens).
External links
- Democratic Convergence of Catalonia official site