CUP Sees Diada as Political Turning Point
The CUP has framed Catalonia's National Day (Diada) 2026 as a pivotal moment in resisting what it describes as a dual threat: Spanish unionism and the rise of Catalan far-right forces. Speaking on 7 September, CUP spokesperson Su Moreno stated the country would “entomb Aliança Catalana and the PSC just as it buried Citizens (Ciutadans)”. The party accused the PSC of harming Catalonia and its people, and branded Aliança Catalana as an obstacle to independence. According to the CUP, the far-right party is an “instrument of the Spanish state” aimed at undermining the independence movement, a claim echoed in previous statements by the party.
Political Isolation of Aliança Catalana
Multiple Catalan parties, including the PSC, ERC, Junts, CUP, and Comuns, have committed to excluding both Vox and Aliança Catalana from coalition agreements, as reported in May 2024 by RTVE and other outlets. Despite this, tensions flared when Junts was criticised for breaching this political cordon sanitaire by engaging with Aliança Catalana. Aliança Catalana, led by Sílvia Orriols, was among 72 provisional candidacies registered for the 12 May 2026 Catalan parliamentary elections, according to the Catalan government’s official press release. However, the party remains politically isolated by the mainstream pro-independence and left-wing blocs.
“Our task is the construction of an independentist left-wing front, not uniting the left across Spain,” said Su Moreno, reinforcing the CUP’s focus on grassroots, municipal-level organising and alignment with social movements.
Shifting Alliances on the Left
Despite its sharp rhetoric, the CUP recently entered a rare agreement with the PSC-led government on housing legislation, joining ERC and Comuns to pass a key decree on housing access. This marked the first time the anti-capitalist party supported a PSC initiative in parliament. The move has sparked debate about the potential for broader left-wing alliances in Catalonia. However, the CUP insists it is not seeking to integrate into broader Spanish left coalitions, warning such efforts could reinforce the 1978 constitutional regime rather than challenge it. Instead, the party advocates for building a “third block” grounded in social justice, national emancipation, and independence from both far-right and centrist capitalist forces.
Primary sources: govern.cat, gencat.cat, eb.gencat.cat, revistes.eapc.gencat.cat. Reported by publico.es, diarimes.com, efe.com, elperiodico.com, rtve.es, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, lavanguardia.com, ACN, conter.scot, elnacional.cat, socialistworld.net, Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid, spainenglish.com, Racó Català.
