Democratic League (Catalonia)
{{Infobox political party
| name = Democratic League
| native_name = Lliga Democràtica
| logo = Lliga Democràtica logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| colorcode = {{party color|Democratic League (Catalonia)}}
| abbreviation = LD
| president = Astrid Barrio
| secretary_general = Sílvia Requena
| founded = {{Start date|df=yes|2019|08|07}}
| registered = {{Start date|df=yes|2019|12|13}}
| dissolved =
| predecessor =
| split =
| headquarters = {{nowrap|C/ Balmes 211, Ppal 2ª
08006, Barcelona}}
| youth_wing =
| membership =
| ideology = Catalan nationalism
Christian democracy
Liberalism
Federalism
Liberal conservatism
Pro-Europeanism
| position = Centre-right
| national =
| european =
| international =
| europarl =
| colors =
| seats1_title =
| seats1 =
| symbol =
| website = {{url|https://lliga.cat/}}
| country = Spain
| state = Catalonia
}}
Democratic League ({{langx|ca|Lliga Democràtica}}, LD) is a Catalan political party founded in August 2019 by Astrid Barrio and former president of Catalan Civil Society Josep Ramon Bosch, aiming to lead the space of the "centre-right, moderate Catalanism" but pushing for political dialogue, agreement and good government and "with full respect to the Constitution".{{cite news |date=7 August 2019 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20190807/463931831828/lliga-democratica-constituye-partido-presidencia-provisional-astrid-barrio.html |title=Lliga Democràtica se constituye como partido bajo la presidencia provisional de Astrid Barrio |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=15 July 2020}} The party was officially registered in the interior ministry on 13 December 2019.{{cite web |url=https://sede.mir.gob.es/nfrontal/webpartido_politico.html |title=Registro de Partidos Políticos |language=Spanish |website=sede.mir.gob.es |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |access-date=15 July 2020}} In July 2020, former Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) deputy and Convergents (CNV) member Sílvia Requena became its new secretary-general.{{cite news |last=Pardo Torregrosa |first=Iñaki |date=1 July 2020 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200701/482043191210/silvia-requena-lliga-democratica-secretaria-general.html |title=Sílvia Requena se incorpora a la Lliga Democràtica como secretaria general |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}}
History
Ever since its inception, the Democratic League has been in search for other political actors to form an electoral platform able to occupy the "orphaned" political space left by the dissolution of the late Convergence and Union (CiU),{{cite news |last=Manchón |first=Manel |date=27 December 2019 |url=https://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/politica/catalanismo-liberal-ultima-fusion-entrar-parlament_303932_102.html |title=El catalanismo liberal ultima su fusión para entrar en el Parlament |language=Spanish |newspaper=Crónica Global |access-date=15 July 2020}}{{cite news |last=Fernández |first=Marina |date=19 February 2020 |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/es/politica/lliga-lliures-fusion-tercera-via-ciu_471417_102.html |title=Los "huérfanos de CiU" se reordenan: la Lliga y Lliures se fusionan en marzo |language=Spanish |newspaper=El Nacional |access-date=15 July 2020}} having probed other similarly-aligned parties such as Free (Lliures) to coalesce into a new political party,{{cite news |last=Regué |first=Júlia |date=26 January 2020 |url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20200126/lliga-democratica-candidatura-elecciones-catalunya-7818230 |title=Lliga Democràtica prepara su candidatura a unas elecciones catalanas |language=Spanish |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}} in a congress scheduled for March 2020.{{cite news |last=Fernández |first=Antonio |date=31 January 2020 |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2020-01-31/fusion-lliures-lliga-nuevo-partido-romper-independentismo_2435392/ |title=Lliures y la Lliga crean un partido catalanista en busca del voto huérfano de CiU |language=Spanish |newspaper=El Confidencial |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}}{{cite news |last=Pardo Torregrosa |first=Iñaki |date=20 February 2020 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200220/473673089267/lliga-lliures-piden-unidad-catalanismo.html |title=La Lliga Democràtica y Lliures piden que se abran espacios de diálogo para unificar el catalanismo |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}} The COVID-19 outbreak in Spain forced the congress's suspension, and new developments up until June 2020 saw Lliures disengaging from the initial merger idea and proposing instead to constitute an electoral alliance that was able to attract other parties, such as the newly-founded Nationalist Party of Catalonia (PNC) and the successor of the late Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC), United to Advance (Els Units).{{cite news |last=Pardo Torregrosa |first=Iñaki |date=11 June 2020 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200611/481707203005/lliures-enfria-fusion-lliga-democratica-insiste-gran-coalicion-catalanistas-centristas.html |title=Lliures enfría la fusión con la Lliga Democrática e insiste en la "gran coalición" de catalanistas y centristas |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}}
On 15 July 2020, it was announced that the party would be forming an electoral alliance with Lliures and Convergents (CNV) to contest the 2021 Catalan regional election,{{cite news |date=15 July 2020 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200715/482323148193/la-lliga-lliures-y-convergents-se-presentaran-juntos-a-las-elecciones.html |title=La Lliga, Lliures y Convergents se presentarán juntos a las elecciones |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}} on the basis of a joint programme pushing for an expansion of Catalan self-government and a solidary fiscal agreement, as well as opposing Catalan independence and unilateralism.{{cite news |last=González |first=David |date=14 July 2020 |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/es/politica/convergents-lliga-democratica-lliures-programa-comun_522528_102.html |title=Convergentes, Lliga Democràtica y Lliures acuerdan un programa electoral común |language=Spanish |newspaper=El Nacional |location=Barcelona |access-date=15 July 2020}}{{cite news |date=15 July 2020 |url=https://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/politica/convergents-lliga-lliures-ultiman-propuesta-mejora-autogobierno_368028_102.html |title=Convergents, Lliga y Lliures ultiman una propuesta de mejora del autogobierno |language=Spanish |newspaper=Crónica Global |access-date=15 July 2020}}
References
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External links
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Category:2019 establishments in Catalonia
Category:Catalan nationalist parties