Spain: Catalonia's Top Court Upholds Elections on February 14

Catalonia's Superior Court (TSJC) decided to maintain the precautionary measure to suspend a decree that sought to postpone the elections set to take place on February 14. 

RELATED:

 At Least 3 Dead, Several Others Injured in Madrid Explosion

On Jan. 15, Catalonia's Interim-President Pere Aragones signed a decree to postpone the election to May 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

While the TSJC will issue a final ruling on the holding of the elections in February, it has to solve first the claims presented against the decree by several extra-parliamentary coalitions and the lawyer Josep Serqueda.

Except for Catalonia's Socialist Party (PSC) and the Catalan Popular Party (PPC), parties such as Ciudadanos, Together for Catalonia (JxCat), and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) agreed to hold the elections in May. 30.

On Dec. 22, 2020, elections were automatically called after the expiration of the deadline for the replacement of former President Quim Torra (2018-2020) who was disqualified for a period of 18 months for refusing to comply with a Central Electoral Board (CEB) order in the April 2019 elections.

"The suspension of the elections and the new date were decided with the majority of the parties, however, it has been altered, which puts at risk not only the voters' health but also the electoral procedure itself," Government spokesperson Meritxell Budothe said in reference to TSJC decision.

On Thursday, the Center for Sociological Research published a survey that places the Socialist Party in the first voting intention positions with 23.9 percent of the votes, which would grant it at least 30 seats in Parliament.  

The Socialists are followed by other parties such as the Republican Left and Ciudadanos.