Illa sets the PSC's challenge at 26 deputies for 29N

The president of the Generalitat and first secretary of the PSC, Salvador Illa, has set the goal for Catalan socialists to increase from 19 to 26 seats in the general elections on 29N and has proposed Jordi Hereu as the lead candidate for Barcelona.

The PSC faces the general elections on 29 November with a specific goal: to increase from the 19 deputies obtained in 2023 to 26. This was outlined by Salvador Illa during the party's executive committee meeting, as reported by moncloa.com. The president of the Generalitat and first secretary of the Catalan socialists argues that with this number, the political situation would be different.

The reference is not arbitrary. The PSC's best result in a general election dates back to 2008, when Carme Chacón achieved 25 seats, the same as in 1982. Reaching 26 would mean surpassing that historical ceiling. Party sources convey that the message was reiterated behind closed doors: there is room for further growth.

The internal calendar is outlined in two meetings. This Saturday, the PSC will hold an ordinary national council in which Jordi Hereu, Minister of Industry and Tourism and former mayor of Barcelona, will be designated as the lead candidate for the Catalan capital. On Sunday, 18 October, following the federal committee of the PSOE scheduled for 17, an extraordinary national council will approve the rest of the candidacies.

Illa also referred to the early elections and pointed to Junts as responsible for blocking housing decrees. In his address to his party members, he stated that this decision has led to a call for elections that no one wanted. The socialist argument defends that there was a parliamentary majority willing to protect families, facilitate youth emancipation, and limit speculation.

Democracy will triumph over authoritarians from Catalunya

The president has called to save plural Spain and a Catalunya aligned with rights against privileges. In the federal leadership, the Catalan result is seen as a key piece for the majority of Pedro Sánchez: the 19 seats of the PSC helped sustain the government after the 2023 elections despite the PP's victory, and Catalunya has consolidated itself as the main stronghold of socialist votes.

The operation fits into Ferraz's strategy for the weeks leading up to 29N: presenting the early elections as a consequence of Junts' blockade and turning each additional seat for the PSC into insurance against parliamentary dependency. Internally, the leadership maintains a framework of stability against the blockade, shared by Emiliano García-Page, Adrián Barbón, and María Chivite.

The social landing focuses on housing. The PSC presents the election as a response to the housing emergency, with the entire PSOE aligned in a discourse aimed at young people, families, and the middle classes. The contrast presented by the argument is the territories governed by the PP, where it claims that housing policies arrive late or not at all.

The risk lies in the calendar. The Catalan socialists aspire to surpass their historical ceiling in a short campaign against an opponent that will try to capitalise on the wear and tear. The next critical window will be the national council on Saturday, where internal cohesion will be measured, followed by the formal start of the campaign. If the PSC approaches 26 seats, Sánchez gains momentum; if it remains around 19, the majority will again depend on Junts.