CATALONIA’S pro-independence parties will go into today’s election with an absolute majority there for the taking.
The three pro-independence parties are projected to maintain their absolute majority in almost all scenarios, according to the results of the sixth and final tracking poll on the Catalan election by Feedback published by The National today in a world exclusive.
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After a “day of reflection” in Catalonia, the balance between the pro-union (Cs, PSC and PP) and pro-independence (ERC, JuntsXCat and CUP) blocs has shifted slightly. The trend for the indy side is downwards, however. We’re predicting them to win between 67 and 70 seats – slightly down on the estimation this morning which was 69-73. An absolute majority in the Parliament needs 68.
Their percentage of the predicted vote (47.68%) also falls a little when compared to this morning, just short of what they got in the last election in 2015 (47.80%).
The pro-Spain parties go from 55-59 seats to 54-59, with 43.41% vote share (43.37% this morning). In the best case scenario, they will fall 7 seats short of an absolute majority.
The predicted turnout falls almost a point from 82.33% to 81.52%, still very high. The number of undecided voters again rises, from 25.1% this morning to 27.1% this afternoon.
The pro-union Ciutadans party, led by Inés Arrimadas, remain the leading party. In comparison with the previous survey, however, they lose almost a point in predicted vote (from 23.44% they fall to 22.54%) and their range of seats goes to 29-32, whilst this Wednesday morning it was on 32-33. This is their lowest number of seats of all the six polls.
ERC, the list of imprisoned vice-president Oriol Junqueras, remains in second position in vote percentage, but has the option to be the largest party in the Parliament with 30-31 seats.
The JuntsxCat list, led from exile in Brussels by president Carles Puigdemont, remains more or less the same in terms of number of seats (29-30, after 29-31 this morning) as in estimated vote (from 20.08% to 19.97% over the course of the day).
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Miquel Iceta’s PSC keeps its fourth position but improves its standing: from 17-19 seats in the previous results from Feedback, they return to 19-21 (in percentage of predicted vote, they grow from 13.93% to 14.88%).
There’s a new face in fifth place. Instead of CUP, it’s occupied by Catalunya En Comú-Podem, who shoot up to to 10 deputies (after 7-9 this morning) and their predicted vote share increases to 7.75% (from 6.15%).
CUP struggles to meet such high expectations and falls in estimated vote and seats from 7.51% and 9 deputies to 6.53% and 8-9.
PP is last in the survey and the Rajoy effect of their leader, the Spanish prime minister, visiting Catalonia has vanished. They go from 6-7 seats to 6 and from 6% to 5.99%.
This newspaper has offered a set of results each day since Saturday and two today, the day before the vote. The survey is based on 1000 interviews. The data collection for these sixth results finished at 4pm today. The first survey was published on Saturday; the second, Sunday; the third, Monday; the fourth, Tuesday and the fifth earlier yesterday morning.
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