It’s September - a time that means back to work, school, or the start of something new. This year, the same can be said for Catalan politics, as Salvador Illa has been sworn in as the new president of the Catalan government.

For the first time since 2010, the Catalan Socialist Party has taken power, but more importantly, the leadership now rests with a party that opposes Catalan independence.

After the former Catalan President, Pere Aragonès, of the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana, failed to secure enough support for the 2024 budget, a snap election was called in May.

The socialists, led by Salvador Illa, won in terms of seats and votes, but fell short of an absolute majority, forcing them to seek support from other parties.

After months of political wrangling and re-election talks, Illa secured the necessary support from Esquerra Republicana and left-wing Comuns Sumar to be appointed president of Catalonia.

However, before Illa could be sworn in, Catalonia was shaken by the return and subsequent mysterious escape of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who left Catalonia for Belgium after the 2017 independence referendum.

On this week’s podcast, Gerard Escaich Folch once again joins Lea Beliava Bander to unpack who the new socialist government is, what the road to the presidency was like, and some of the major challenges facing the new minority government.

We will also explore what the future holds for the fragmented pro-independence movement and answer the question: Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in Catalan politics?

This week’s Catalan phrase is “Quan una porta es tanca, una altra s'obre,” in English “When one door closes, another one opens.”

Get in touch with the podcast team: [email protected]