Democratic Left of Catalonia

{{Infobox political party

| name = Democratic Left of Catalonia

| native_name = Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya

| logo = Esquerra Democratica de Catalunya.png

| logo_size = 125px

| colorcode = {{party color|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}

| president =

| secretary_general = Ramón Trías Fargas

| founded = {{Start date|df=yes|1975}}

| dissolved = {{End date|df=yes|1978|06|27}}

| merged = Democratic Convergence of Catalonia

| headquarters =

| newspaper =

| student_wing =

| youth_wing =

| wing1_title =

| wing1 =

| membership_year =

| membership =

| ideology = Catalan nationalism{{cite web |url=https://www.enciclopedia.cat/ec-partits-182.xml |title=Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya |language=Catalan |website=www.enciclopedia.cat |publisher=Diccionari dels Partits Polítics de Catalunya, segle XX |access-date=17 July 2020}}
Social liberalism{{cite journal |last=Culla i Clarà |first=Joan B. |date=1989 |title=L'evolució de l'espai centrista a Catalunya (1976-1982) |url=https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/worpap/1989/hdl_2072_1479/ICPS4.pdf |journal=Working Papers |issue=4 |language=Catalan |location=Barcelona |publisher=Institut de Ciències Polítiques i Socials |access-date=17 July 2020}}
Federalism
Liberalism

| position = Centre to centre-left

| national = Democratic Pact for Catalonia {{small|(1977–78)}}
Democracy and Catalonia {{small|(1977–78)}}

| international = Liberal International

| website =

| country = Spain

| state = Catalonia

}}

Democratic Left of Catalonia ({{langx|ca|Esquerra Democràtica de Catalunya}}, EDC) was a political party in Catalonia (Spain). EDC was founded in 1975 as the Catalan Liberal Party ({{langx|ca|Partit Liberal Català}}), and ideologically it defined itself as "radical liberal" and federalist. It was merged into Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) on 27 June 1978.{{cite news |last=Canals |first=Enric |date=28 June 1978 |title=Consumada la fusión de CDC y Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1978/06/28/espana/267832835_850215.html |language=Spanish |newspaper=El País |location=Barcelona |access-date=17 July 2020}}

History

EDC was initially known as the Catalan Liberal Party (PLC) and was a member of the Liberal International. The PLC/EDC was also a part of the Coordinating Commission of Political Forces of Catalonia, the main pro-democracy opposition body of Catalonia at the time. The original ideology of the group was radical liberalism, including federalism, co-management and the nationalization of large enterprises. In April 1976 a sector led by Jaume Casanovas split from the party and founded the Social Democratic Party of Catalonia (PSDC).{{cite news |date=23 April 1976 |title=Don Jaume Casanovas abandona Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya |url=https://linz.march.es/documento.asp?reg=r-17944 |language=Spanish |newspaper=Informaciones |access-date=17 July 2020}} On 24 September 1976, together with the People's Democratic Party, the Social-Liberal Coalition was established.{{cite news |date=25 September 1976 |url=http://elpais.com/diario/1976/09/25/espana/212450426_850215.html |title=El Partido Demócrata Popular (PDP) |language=Spanish |newspaper=El País |access-date=17 July 2020}}

In January 1977, the party signed a political alliance with Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC),{{cite news |date=29 December 1976 |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1976/12/29/pagina-27/33634027/pdf.html |title=Un voto en contra de la Permanente de Convergencia Democrática retrasa el acuerdo Trías Fargas-Pujol |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=16 July 2020}}{{cite news |author=S. B. |date=4 January 1977 |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1977/01/04/pagina-25/33634743/pdf.html |title=Después de Reyes se hará público un comunicado conjunto de Convergencia Democrática y Esquerra Democrática |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=16 July 2020}}{{cite news |last=Sáenz-Díez |first=Margarita |date=5 January 1977 |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1977/01/05/pagina-21/33635265/pdf.html |title=El acuerdo con Esquerra Democrática no escinde a Convergencia Democrática |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=16 July 2020}} which ahead of the 1977 Spanish general election would transform into the Democratic Pact for Catalonia (PDC) coalition for the Congress of Deputies, together with CDC, the Socialist Party of Catalonia–Regrouping (PSC–R) and the National Front of Catalonia (FNC). The party would secure two seats out of the eleven won by the alliance, which were occupied by Ramón Trías Fargas and Maciá Alavedra, both for the Barcelona constituency. For the concurrent Spanish Senate election, EDC joined the Democracy and Catalonia coalition, comprising all four PDC parties together with the Catalan Centre (CC) and the Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC),{{cite news |last=Sáenz-Díez |first=Margarita |date=4 May 1977 |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1977/05/04/pagina-24/33741995/pdf.html |title=Con la formación de siete coaliciones se clarifica el panorama catalán |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=16 July 2020}}{{cite news |last=Roses |first=Joan |date=5 May 1977 |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1977/05/05/pagina-28/33742079/pdf.html |title=Se perfilan las opciones para el Senado |language=Spanish |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=16 July 2020}} which won two senators, although none was for EDC.

In December 1977, a group of party members left the party to found the Catalan Association of the Liberal Left,{{cite news |date=27 December 1977 |title=Escisión en Esquerra Democrática de Catalunya |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1977/12/27/espana/252025227_850215.html |language=Spanish |newspaper=El País |access-date=17 July 2020}} which would end up joining Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) in August 1978. The rest of the party would be merged into CDC in June 1978.{{cite news |last=Canals |first=Enric |date=21 May 1978 |title=Inminente fusión de los partidos de Pujol y Trías Fargas |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1978/05/21/espana/264549614_850215.html |language=Spanish |newspaper=El País |location=Barcelona |access-date=17 July 2020}}

Electoral performance

=Cortes Generales=

==Nationwide==

class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
colspan="10" align="center"\| Cortes Generales
rowspan="2" width="75"\| Election ! colspan="5"\| Congress ! colspan="2"\| Senate ! rowspan="2"\| Leading candidate ! rowspan="2"\| Status in legislature
width="70"\| Votes ! width="35"\| % ! width="25"\| # ! Seats ! width="35"\| +/– ! Seats ! width="35"\| +/–
1977 \| colspan="3"\| Within PDC/DiC \| {{Composition bar\|2\|350\|hex={{party color\|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}} \| — \| {{Composition bar\|0\|207\|hex={{party color\|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}} \| — \| Jordi Pujol \| style="background:#fcc;"\| Opposition

class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"

colspan="10" align="center"| Cortes Generales

rowspan="2" width="75"| Election

! colspan="5"| Congress

! colspan="2"| Senate

! rowspan="2"| Leading candidate

! rowspan="2"| Status in legislature

width="70"| Votes

! width="35"| %

! width="25"| #

! Seats

! width="35"| +/–

! Seats

! width="35"| +/–

1977

| colspan="3"| Within PDC/DiC

| {{Composition bar|2|350|hex={{party color|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}}

| —

| {{Composition bar|0|207|hex={{party color|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}}

| —

| Jordi Pujol

| style="background:#fcc;"| Opposition

==Regional breakdown==

class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
rowspan="3" width="75"\| Election ! colspan="7"\| Catalonia
colspan="5"\| Congress ! colspan="2"\| Senate
width="70"\| Votes ! width="35"\| % ! width="25"\| # ! Seats ! width="35"\| +/– ! Seats ! width="35"\| +/–
1977 \| colspan="3"\| Within PDC/DiC \| {{Composition bar\|2\|47\|hex={{party color\|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}} \| — \| {{Composition bar\|0\|16\|hex={{party color\|Democratic Left of Catalonia}}}} \| —

class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"

rowspan="3" width="75"| Election

! colspan="7"| Catalonia

colspan="5"| Congress

! colspan="2"| Senate

width="70"| Votes

! width="35"| %

! width="25"| #

! Seats

! width="35"| +/–

! Seats

! width="35"| +/–