Catalan election results and reactions, as it happened

Laura Borràs (JxCat): "There is an absolute majority to advance towards independende"

"Today's is a great victory, because we have obtained over 50% of votes. That must have political consequences", said JxCat candidate Laura Borràs, assessing the election results. The party obtained 32 seats, behind PSC (33) and ERC (33). Borràs has advanced that she has spoken to Pere Aragonès and Dolors Sabater and has urged them to work together. "The bitterest lesson is the independence movement's division allowing a party that supported the imposition of direct rule to win again. But with these results there is an absolute majority to advance towards independence. We cannot turn the page" concluded Borràs.

Illa (PSC). "I will stand to be invested president"

PSC Candidate Salvador Illa has made it clear tonight that he will stand to be invested president by the Catalan parliament, and insisted on the need to turn a page. Illa thanked the voters, his party, and sent support to those suffering from covid-19. He also thanked PSC leaders Eva Granados and Miquel Iceta, his family for their support and dedicated his victory to mountaineer Sergi Mingote, who died climbing K2.

Before him, Miquel Iceta spoke. He highlighted this was the best result for the PSC since Pasqual Maragall was candidate.

Oriol Junqueras: "For the first time in 80 years ERC will preside the Generalitat"

The president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, has highlighted that ERC "will preside the Generalitat for the first time in 80 years". ERC is the second most voted party but obtained the same number of seats as PSC. Junqueras has shown himself willing to create consensus "around self-determination and amnesty to build the Republic". "That is why it is so important that ERC wins these elections and is in a position to obtain the presidency of the Generalitat". Junqueras also highlighted that "for the first time the independence movement obtained over half of the votes".

Carles Puigdemont: "It is impossible to do politics without talking about independece"

From Brussels, Carles Puigdemont has assessed Junts per Catalunya's results. The party has obtained 32 seats, behind PSC (33) and ERC (33). "The independence movement has once again won the elections. We beat the forces of article 155 [which imposed direct rule]. There are more pro-independence MPs than ever in History" said Puigdemont. "Although we were divided, the people's message is persistent and allows no doubt. Only the pro-independence movement can build an alternative government and give the answers the catalans demand of politicians. We now have the strength to do it", he added. Puigdemont also highlighted: "It is impossible to do politics without talking about independence and the Catalan Republic. We'll do it".

Esquerra wins in Tarragona for the first time, with 24.66% of the vote and 5 seats

ERC has won in Tarragona with 96.5% of votes counted, in elections marked by a low turnout (50.39%). ERC has won for the first time with 24.66% of the votes, and has maintained its 5 seats. PSC has doubled its number of seats, from 2 to 4, with 19.88% of the vote. Junts remains the third most voted party with 19.51% of the vote, giving the party 4 seats. Ciudadanos, the big winner in 2017, won only one seat -down from 5- and the far-right Vox irrupts with two seats. CUP regained the seat it lost four years ago and PP failed to win any seats.

Carrizosa admits the triumph of the independence movement: "We have not been capable of mobilising the constitutionalists"

Ciudadanos candidate Carlos Carrizosa has congratulated the Socialists for the win in the popular vote and has admitted that the independence movement "does not have a social majority but it does have a majority in Parliament". Carrizosa has attributed Ciudadanos' fall to the low turnout: "Almost half of voters stayed at home". He also acknowledged Ciudadanos "have not been capable of mobilising the constitutionalists". The party leader, Inés Arrimadas, also appeared and admitted the difficulty in mobilising voters.

Salvador Illa dyes the Metropolitan area red again

Three years after Ciudadanos' victory, the PSC has won back the metropolitan area of Barcelona, where turnout was under 50% in many areas. Salvador Illa regained all the municipalities around Barcelona that allowed Ciudadanos to win in 2017. The PSC obtained 30% of the votes in Badalona, Sabadell and Sant Boi de Llobregat and reaches almost 40% in Hospitalet, Santa Coloma de Gramanet and Cornellà. On the other hand, Cs retained only 10% of the vote in almost all the municipalities where it won in 2017. ERC is second in the metropolitan area, coming in front of JxCat in the particular duel among pro-independence parties, whilst Vox breaks into the scene and leads the right, far ahead of Cs and the PP.

Alejandro Fernández (PP): "Our results are very poor"

"I am not someone to sweeten reality. Our results are very poor" said PP candidate Alejandro Fernández after the results came in. The PP won three seats, one fewer than in 2017. "We had two goals: grow and obtain our own parliamentary group. We achieved neither", added Fernández. "Some moments during the campaign have been a complete earthquake. But we have to be able to manage the result we got. I still believe a constitutionalist and pro-European project is essential", the candidate added.

Albiach says that she will call Aragonès and Illa tomorrow to "build a left-wing government"

The En Comú Podem candidate, Jéssica Albiach, has said she will call PSC and ERC candidates tomorrow to "build a left-wing government". Albiach highlighted the fact that the next parliament will be the "most left-wing" in the history of Catalonia. That is why she has said that a left-wing majority "can no longer stand the chaos of the JxCat and ERC government". She added that it "would be good that no one stand to be invested without having the necessary support", which could be interpreted as a warning to Illa.

ERC, JxCat and PSC head and head in Tarragona

The difference between first and third is slim in Tarragona, with ERC in the lead with 25.03% of the vote, followed by PSC (19.87%) and Junts per Catalunya (19.38%). Ciudadanos, who came first in the 2017 elections and won five seats, has only won 5% of the vote, reports Esther Celma.

With 91% of the votes counted, the result stays the same: PSC and ERC come joint first with 33 seats. with JxCat coming third with 32

With 91.45% of votes counted, the result has not change: PSC and ERC are tied in first place with 33 seats, with JxCat coming third with 32 seats, followed by Vox with 11, CUP with 9, En Comú Podem with 8 Cs with 6 and the PP with 3. PDeCat has not won any seats.

With 89% of votes counted, pro-independence parties obtain over half the votes

With 89% of votes counted, pro-independence parties obtain over half the votes. The break-up would be as follows; ERC 21.39%, JxCat 19.80%, CUP 6.66% and PDECat 2.63%. In total, this adds up to 50.84% of the votes. If the number is confirmed, it would be the first time that pro-independence parties obtain over half the votes in Parliamentary elections.

Granados (PSC), "Our commitment and our will is [to go ahead with] the investiture"

PSC number two, Eva Granados, has claimed that if there is no change in the results and the PSC comes first in number of votes, the PSC candidate Salvador Illa will try to be invested president. "Our commitment and our will is [to go ahead with] the investiture" she told Tv3. Granados has admitted that they would contact En Comú first, who are the Socialists' coalition partners in the Spanish government, but has not made clear what other support they would seek. "If we come first, we would like to present our programme" she has explained, before adding that "if there is a will to change other parties will also have to look at it this way".

Vox wins in Pobla de Mafumet (Tarragonès) and Vilamalla (Alt Empordà) and is the third most voted party in Aran

Vox has won in two Catalan villages. With 100% of votes counted, the far-right party has obtained a 21,32% share (249 votes) in Mafumet (Tarragonès); in the 2017, the most voted party was Ciudadanos with a 42% share of the vote. In Vilamalla (Alt Empordà), Vox also came first with a 22.54% share (102 votes); in 2017, Ciudadanos came first with 40% of the vote. With 88.60% of votes counted, Vox is the third most voted party in Aran county.

With 72% of the votes counted, JxCat wins in Girona

JxCat wins again in Girona with 7 of the 17 seats in the province. ERC comes second with 4 seats, the same as in 2017, and PSC would come third with three, two more than in 2017. CUP would obtain two seats, one more than in 2017, and Vox would obtain a seat for the first time. On the other hand, Ciudadanos would lose its four seats.

PSC and ERC tied in first place, but with one seat disputed between them

With 79,20% of votes counted, PSC and ERC are tied in first place with 33 seats, although it is very close and the final result is yet to be called. A seat in Barcelona is closely contended between the two, and could go either way. JxCat comes third with 32 seats, followed by Vox with 11, CUP with 9, En Comú Podem with 8 Cs with 6 and the PP with 3

With over 51% of the votes counted, JxCat wins the elections in Lleida with six seats

Junts per Catalunya (JxCat) wins the elections in Lleida province with a 29.19% share of the vote, meaning 6 seats. With 51.43% of the votes counted, pro-independence parties would enlarge their majority, with ERC gaining 5 seats and CUP-G gaining 1. PSC would obtain 2 seats, VOX 1 and PdeCAT and Cs would have no MPs for Lleida. In 2017, Junts per Catalunya obtained 6 seats, ERC 5, Cs 3 and PSC 1. The PP and CUP did not obtain any seats. Turnout has fallen to 55,13%, almost 22% lower than in 2017

With 74% of votes counted, ERC and JxCat come joint second with 32 seats, whilst the PSC wins with 34

With 74% of votes counted, ERC and JxCat are joint second with 32 seats, whilst the PSC is ahead with 34. Vox breaks into the Catalan Parliament with 11 seats, followed by CUP (9), En Comú Podem (8), Ciudadanos (6) and PP (3). PDECat would not have any MPs

Vox wins the elections in Vilamalla (Alt Empordà) with all votes counted

Far-right Vox has won the most votes in the village of Vilamalla in the Alt Empordà. The party obtained 102 votes, representing 22% of the share. Next came JxCat (19%), ERC (18%), PSC (14%) Cs (8%) and PP (5%). In total, 52% of voters went to the polling staion, 30% less than three years ago.

In 2017, Ciudadanos won most of the vote (40%) followed by ERC (13%), PSC (7%), PP (3%) and other parties obtained 34% of the votes, according to the Generalitat.

Tie between PSC and ERC with 55% of votes counted

With 55% of votes counted, PSC and ERC would obtain 33 seats each. Junts would come third with 32 seats. Vox would break into the Catalan Parliament with 11 seats, whilst CUP would obtain 9. En Comú Podem would have 8, Ciudadanos 6 and PP 3. PDECat would have no MPs.