Catalan Separatists Keep Control and Sanchez Gets a Boost
- Premier’s Socialists come first in Sunday’s regional election
- Three separatist parties have the votes to form a majority
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Catalan separatist parties won a majority in the regional parliament in Sunday’s election, but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was one of the night’s big winners.
Sanchez’s Socialist party won the most votes and saw its main national rival, the conservative People’s Party, suffer a humiliating defeat. All the same, the next regional leader is set to come from the separatist camp, since the two leading parties in favor of independence claimed 65 seats in the 135-strong assembly, while a smaller left-wing group that also backs secession has nine more. Sixty-eight seats are required for a majority.