National Call for the Republic

The National Call for the Republic[2] (Catalan: Crida Nacional per la República, Crida or CNxR) was a pro-independence, big tent political party in Catalonia. It aimed at uniting pro-independence political parties and organisations throughout Catalonia towards the common goal of establishing a Catalan Republic, regardless of political ideology. Its members included both independent figures from the civil society and aligned to the Together for Catalonia (JxCat) alliance—such as Quim Torra or Jordi Sànchez—as well as prominent members of the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), among others: former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, former regional ministers Josep Rull, Jordi Turull and Laura Borràs or party vice-president Míriam Nogueras.

National Call for the Republic
Crida Nacional per la República
AbbreviationCNxR
LeaderCarles Puigdemont
PresidentJordi Sànchez
Secretary-GeneralAntoni Morral
Founded16 July 2018 (2018-07-16)
Registered8 January 2019 (2019-01-08)
Dissolved19 July 2020 (2020-07-19)
Merged intoTogether for Catalonia (2020)
HeadquartersC/ Calders, 11, 1º
08003, Barcelona
Membership (2019)Increase 16,954[1]
IdeologyCatalan independence
Republicanism
Souverainism
Unilateralism
Political positionBig tent
National affiliationTogether for Catalonia (2017) (2018–20)
Colors  Yellow
  Black
Website
www.cridanacional.cat

The party was merged into Puigdemont's new Together for Catalonia (Junts) on 19 July,[3] after negotiations with the PDeCAT to form a joint list ahead of the next Catalan regional election foundered as a result of the latter's refusal to dissolve itself within JxCat.[4][5] Overall, the Crida has been pointed out as unsuccessful in its main goal of uniting all pro-independence parties under its umbrella,[6][7] with the party not having been fielded on its own to contest any single election,[8] but its establishment and permanent stress on the PDeCAT has been said to help hasten the latter's internal crisis.[9]

History

The Crida was established as a political platform on 16 July 2018, with Carles Puigdemont, Quim Torra and Jordi Sànchez being the driving force behind its establishment.[10][11] On 8 January 2019 it was registered as a political party in the interior ministry,[12][13][14] and on 26 January it held its constituent congress.[15]

Ahead of the April 2019 Spanish general election, party members voted against running on their own and in favour of joining a "unitary candidacy" of pro-independence parties together with the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT).[16][17] Failure in negotiations between both the PDeCAT and Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) for such a list ultimately ended in the Crida declaring that they would not contest the general election nor would formally supporting any candidacy,[18][19] though it supported the participation of several of its members in the Together for Catalonia (JxCat) alliance.[20]

After the November 2019 Spanish general election, the party intended to stage a refoundation of the post-Democratic Convergence of Catalonia political space, bringing together the three political entities resulting from CDC's demise—the PDeCAT, JxCat and itself—either as a joint entity or in the form of a coalition,[21][22] The CNxR did not rule out running on its own in an eventual election if an agreement with the PDeCAT was not possible, as it ruled out dissolving itself into a mere continuation of CDC's legacy.[23] Negotiations stalled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in June 2020.[24]

On 8 July 2020, it was proposed that the party be merged and subsequently dissolved into Carles Puigdemont's upcoming party—a new Together for Catalonia—on 25 July.[25][26] As the Crida before it, the new Together for Catalonia party—whose establishment was unveiled on 2 July 2020—aimed at reorganizing the post-CDC space and bring together supporters of unilateral independence ahead of the next Catalan regional election, but unlike the CNxR it was to break all ties with the PDeCAT, after negotiations failed between the former and the latter to merge themselves into a new political force under the umbrella of JxCat (whose naming rights belonged to the PDeCAT).[27][28][29] The Crida held a vote among its members from 16 to 18 July to decide on its ultimate fate,[30] including a proposal providing for its transformation into a foundation and think tank within Puigdemont's new party,[31][32] with over 95% of party members approving of the merger.[3][33]

Ideology

With an ambition to unite social conservatives and left-wing supporters of Catalan independence, the party was a big tent and mass movement organisation with the main ideology of supporting Catalan independence and the establishment of a new Catalan Republic.[34] It aims at serving as the umbrella for a single Catalan independence list,[35] establishing a structure that mirrors the Scottish National Party,[36] while some analysts have described it as "convergent peronism" and as a mixture of Chantal Mouffe's "populist moment and a reminiscence of the CDC's political project in the 1980s and 1990s which endep up identifying Jordi Pujol as the bulwark of Catalan nationalism.[34][37] Former Catalan minister Ferran Mascarell argued that it intended to "transcend" political parties, whereas Together for Catalonia's spokesperson Gemma Geis claimed that it was "a tool" comprising "individual adhesions" and "not a political structure with party representative quotas".[38] Internally, the party was said to possess three main ideological currents: left-wing, social democracy and liberalism.[21]

Other pro-independence political parties, such as Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), have repeatedly ruled out joining the CNxR,[39][40][41] perceiving it as an hostile movement ultimately seeking to dilute them into Puigdemont's personal political project.[42][43] Puigdemont's original party, the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT)—direct successor to the late CDC—was also resistant to dilute itself into the CNxR,[5][28] despite the joint participation of PDeCAT and Crida members in the JxCat alliance contesting the 2019 two Spanish general elections, local elections and that year's European Parliament election.

References
  1. Fernàndez, Marina (26 January 2019). ""Hoy la haremos buena", el arranque del congreso fundacional de la Crida". El Nacional (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. Lasalas, Marta (16 January 2019). "Puigdemont has a party: National Call for the Republic". El Nacional. Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. "La Crida aprueba convertirse en fundación del partido de Puigdemont". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. "El PDECat acepta cambiar de nombre pero sin disolverse en JxCat". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 13 December 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  5. "Puigdemont rompe definitivamente con el PDeCAT y presentará un nuevo partido en julio". eldiario.es (in Spanish). ACN. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. Masreal, Fidel (4 July 2020). "24 meses fuera del sistema". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. Fernández, Antonio (20 July 2020). "Puigdemont tiene nueva fundación: la Crida se disuelve para ser su brazo 'intelectual'". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  8. Manchón, Manel (24 June 2019). "¿Qué fue de la Crida de Puigdemont?". Crónica Global (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  9. "Divorcio Puigdemont - PDECat: ¿Quién está en cada bando?". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  10. Masreal, Fidel (16 July 2018). "Puigdemont impulsa la Crida Nacional para superar instrumentos "caducos"". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  11. Jordan, Guifré (16 July 2018). "Puigdemont and Torra to promote new political movement". Catalan News. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  12. "Registro de Partidos Políticos". sede.mir.gob.es (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  13. "La Crida de Puigdemont ya es un partido político". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  14. "El registro de la Crida como partido abre incógnitas en su relación con el PDeCAT" (in Spanish). Barcelona: Europa Press. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  15. "La Crida abre inscripciones para el congreso fundacional del 26 de enero". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Agencias. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  16. Pardo Torregrosa, Iñaki (1 March 2019). "PDECat y la Crida acercan posturas para la lista de las elecciones generales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  17. "Las bases de la Crida avalan la confluencia con el PDECat a las elecciones generales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Agencias. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  18. "La Crida de Puigdemont descarta presentarse a las elecciones generales". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 6 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  19. "La Crida no pedirá el voto para ninguna lista del 28-A". El Nacional (in Spanish). Barcelona. ACN. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  20. "La Crida descarta ir a las generales pero avala que sus miembros estén en la lista de JxCat-PDECat". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Agencias. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  21. March, Oriol (27 October 2019). "La Crida fa un any amb la vista posada en les properes eleccions al Parlament". Nació Digital (in Catalan). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  22. "Bonvehí y Sànchez ya negocian el encaje entre el PDeCAT y la Crida". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. ACN. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  23. Masreal, Fidel (26 January 2020). "La Crida de Puigdemont sigue su crecimiento sin descartar ir a las urnas". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  24. "El PDeCAT y la Crida retoman las negociaciones para reordenar el espacio de JxCat". Europa Press (in Spanish). Barcelona. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  25. Quitian, Sergi (2 July 2020). "Puigdemont hace oficial que su nuevo partido nacerá el 25 de julio". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  26. Quitian, Sergi (8 July 2020). "La dirección de la Crida apuesta por disolver la entidad y sumarse al partido de Puigdemont". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  27. Quitian, Sergi (19 June 2020). "El PDECat y la Crida retoman sus reuniones para la reordenación". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  28. Quitian, Sergi; Gisbert, Josep (30 June 2020). "El PDECat se vindica como JxCat en pleno tira y afloja con Puigdemont". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  29. Masreal, Fidel; García Sastre, Daniel (2 July 2020). "Puigdemont anuncia la creación de un partido al margen del PDECat". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  30. "La Crida apuesta por su disolución y por sumarse al nuevo partido de Puigdemont" (in Spanish). Barcelona: Europa Press. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  31. González, David (15 July 2020). "La Crida consulta a las bases para disolverse en el partido de Puigdemont". El Nacional (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  32. Gisbert, Josep (16 July 2020). "La Crida se convertirá en fundación del nuevo partido de Carles Puigdemont". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  33. "Los socios de la Crida avalan ser una fundación y dar apoyo a Puigdemont". El Nacional (in Spanish). Barcelona. ACN. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  34. Ubasart i Gonzàlez, Gemma (30 October 2018). "La Crida ha llegado para quedarse... aunque aún no sabemos cómo". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  35. Baquero, Camilo Sixto (13 November 2018). "Puigdemont se queda solo con su idea de lista única para las europeas". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  36. Ill, Sergi (9 July 2020). "El fracaso de la Crida lleva a Puigdemont a crear su propio partido". Economía Digital (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  37. Manchón, Manel (16 July 2018). "Nace el partido peronista catalán al servicio de Puigdemont". Crónica Global (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  38. Pardo Torregrosa, Iñaki (17 July 2018). "Junts per Catalunya intenta desvincular Crida Nacional del espacio convergente". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  39. Camps, Carlota (16 July 2018). "ERC won't join Puigdemont and Torra's new pro-independence movement". El Nacional. Barcelona. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  40. Masreal, Fidel; Barrena, Xabi (28 October 2018). "ERC y la CUP se apartan de la Crida de Puigdemont por ser de derechas". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  41. Noguer, Miquel (27 January 2019). "El nuevo partido de Puigdemont no encuentra apoyos más allá de sus fieles". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  42. B. García, Luis (5 December 2018). "Militantes de ERC acusan a la Crida de estar detrás del movimiento crítico interno". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  43. Lamelas, Marcos (17 June 2020). "La coalición de Puigdemont busca romper la CUP, sumar a Demòcrates y diluir el PDeCAT". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
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