Early endings and future beginnings - 2024 Catalan election preview

The Catalan election season is in full swing – once again. On March 18th, Catalan President Pere Aragonès announced that he was dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling for a snap election on May 12th. The news came after the government failed to secure a majority to pass the 2024 budget. Calling for early elections in Catalonia is nothing new, as it has been 14 years since a government last served the full four-year term, and in the 21st century, the Catalans have only held two elections when they should have. On this week’s podcast, Gerard Escaich Folch and Guifré Jordan join Lea Beliaeva Bander to make sense of the political situation and explain the reasons why this term came to an early end.  We look back at the last three years of political battles, get to know the main party candidates, and talk about the future challenges. This week’s Catalan phrase is “déu-n’hi-do”, roughly translated as “Oh my God!” in English, a common interjection used to express surprise.