VZCZCXRO4934
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHLA #0169/01 3131658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091658Z NOV 06
FM AMCONSUL BARCELONA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0790
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0761
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 0953

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BARCELONA 000169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/WE FOR CLEMENTS/CERVETTI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SOCIALISTS, LEFTISTS RECONSTITUTE THREE PARTY COALITION, 
OUTLINE NEW CATALAN GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: BARCELONA 166 AND PREVIOUS 
 
BARCELONA 00000169  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The leaders of the PSC, ERC, and the 
Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV), the three-party coalition 
(Tripartite), which has governed Catalonia since 2003, agreed in 
principal November 4 to reprise their oft-fractious partnership 
and form the next autonomous regional government.  ERC leader 
Josep Carod Rovira announced the agreement after a two-day round 
of marathon talks.  PSC presidential candidate Jose Montilla 
will be named President - the first non-Catalan born president 
in the region's history.  Carod will encumber the newly created 
position of Vice President (formerly First Counselor).  Reaction 
from the CiU was swift:  presidential candidate Artur Mas 
accused Montilla and Carod of "tricking" the voters.  CiU Secgen 
and Spanish Parliament member Josep Antoni Duran Lleida 
immediately announced his party would pull its support from PM 
Zapatero, both have since moderated their early remarks. 
Playing to his strength as stable and serious, Montilla will 
have to move quickly to allay fears that he is not focused 
enough on Catalan interests, even as he works to implement the 
Catalan autonomy statute (Estatut).  Otherwise, he could find 
himself facing the same problems his predecessor faced with an 
outspoken coalition partner that focuses more narrowly on 
Catalan independence rather than broader social and economic 
issues.   End Summary. 
 
PSC-ERC-ICV Tripartite:  Round Two 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Republican Left of Catalan (ERC) President Josep Lluis 
Carod Rovira announced November 4 that the three parties that 
made up the previous governing coalition in Catalonia - the 
so-called Tripartite - had reached agreement to reform the 
alliance, thus, denying Artur Mas and the Convergence and Union 
(CiU) the chance to form the government.  (Note:  The CiU 
coalition won the November 1 elections, but did not win an 
outright majority (reftel).  End note.)   Socialist Party of 
Catalan (PSC) presidential candidate Jose Montilla will be 
elected President of the autonomous region (Generalitat); Carod 
will occupy the newly created position of Vice President, and 
Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) President Joan Saur will 
likely occupy the third most important position as Counselor for 
the Interior and Institutional Relations and Participation.  The 
three parties will have a total of 70 seats in the Parliament; 
two seats more than necessary to control Parliament.  Montilla's 
investiture will be an historic occasion as he will become the 
first non-Catalan born president in the region's history, a 
subject that ran as an undercurrent throughout the election.  In 
remarks November 7, Montilla presented his new team to the press 
November 7, and in his statement he declared, "I am aware that 
all was not positive during the last legislature, but in life 
what is important is not to not commit mistakes, but to learn 
from your mistakes~we will not repeat the mistakes of the past." 
 
¶3. (U) In this vein, the coalition reportedly has agreed to the 
following broad guidelines: 
 
No surprises - Carod and Saura have apparently agreed to inform 
Montilla before taking any actions that might adversely affect 
the Generalitat. 
 
Unity first - The three leaders have agreed to put the interests 
of the autonomous region before party interests. 
 
All for Catalonia - Social issues, including housing, education, 
and employment, will be the focus of the Generalitat. 
 
Sharp CiU Reaction 
 
¶4. (SBU) The reaction from CiU presidential candidate Artur Mas, 
and CiU Secgen and Spanish Parliamentarian Jose Antoni Duran, 
was swift and angry.  Mas accused Montilla and Carod of 
"tricking" the voters into believing another Tripartite was not 
an option.  Duran announced his party would not continue to 
support the government of PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.  Both 
later moderated their initial remarks as foreshadowed to the CG 
by Joan Russell, Popular Party (PP) insider and President of the 
Catalan Manufacturers Association. 
 
Catalans Calm 
 
¶5. (SBU) Catalans have reacted calmly to the news of the 
Tripartite resurgence.  Polls leading up to November 1 indicated 
that this might be a possible outcome of the election.  What 
might have taken some by surprise was the speed with which the 
coalition came together to form their government.  Media 
reported some small, but noisy protests in and around Barcelona, 
but no other activity of note.  It appears Catalans are either 
resigned, or simply willing to give Montilla and his new team a 
chance. 
 
BARCELONA 00000169  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  Once confirmed in Parliament, Montilla will 
have to quickly show his government is ready for work as his 
grace period will likely be short, and an angry CiU will be 
nipping at his shoes from the start.  A first order of business 
is likely to be quick implementation of the Estatut, and even 
this will take the measure of Montilla's ability.  It was the 
ERC that refused to vote in favor of the Estatut, which resulted 
in its expulsion from the coalition over the summer and the call 
for early elections.  Montilla will also have to allay ERC (for 
a start) fears that he might be soft on Catalan interests, an 
issue the CiU (at a minimum) will want to use against him during 
his mandate.  At the national level, the coalition is already 
paying dividends:  according to press reports, the ERC quickly 
supported the PSOE in the Spanish Parliament on several 
budgetary issues after CiU parliamentarians withdrew their 
support.  End Comment. 
ROBINSON