Everything is ready for the Catalan election

5.5 million Catalans have the right to vote this Thursday on the oddest election since the restoration of democracy in 1978. The events of the last three months, including the illegal independence referendum organised by the separatist government on 1 October, the declaration of Independence voted by the regional Parliament on 27 October and the intervention of Catalan autonomy by President Rajoy that same day, make this election a special one.

With ERC candidate Oriol Junqueras in prison and former President Carles Puigdemont in Brussels, the campaign has been a really bitter one, with pro-independence parties accusing the Spanish Government of authoritarism and constitutionalists accusing the separatists of dividing Catalan society and ruining Catalan economy.

The latest polls show a close race between pro-union centre party Ciudadanos and left independentist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. Given that is almost impossible for any party to obtain a majority, post-electoral negotiations will be hard, and finding a Government coallition might become a real challenge.

135 members of the Catalan Parliament will be chosen this Thursday. 85 for Barcelona, 18 for Tarragona, 17 for Girona and 15 for Lleida.