Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) will run in the next November 29 general elections with the self-determination referendum among its main electoral commitments. The pro-independence party proposes negotiating with the State the calling of a consultation in Catalonia with international accompaniment and demands compliance with agreements on special funding, the forgiveness of the debt of the Fondo de Liquidez Autonómica (FLA) and the full transfer of Rodalies.
ERC’s electoral program, which DEMÓCRATA has obtained access to, groups its proposals under three major pillars: defend Catalonia, improve the living conditions of citizens and strengthen public services. Among its measures are a Catalan minimum wage of 1,460 euros, a universal childrearing benefit, new powers to regulate rentals and an expansion of public healthcare coverage.
The document also contains criticisms of the Government of Pedro Sánchez, which it blames for not having met the commitments made during the legislature, and warns of the consequences that an eventual coalition between PP and Vox would have. ERC asserts its role in parliamentary negotiations and aims to maintain its capacity to influence the next Congress.
A negotiated referendum with international intermediation
The first proposal in the electoral program is to negotiate the calling of a self-determination referendum in Catalonia. ERC calls for the European Union and the Council of Europe to participate as facilitators, following the recommendations of the Council of Europe resolution Cilevičs and the best practices of the Venice Commission.
In this way, the party maintains independence as a political objective and defends the consultation as a way to resolve the territorial conflict with the State.
In the area of rights and freedoms, it proposes repealing the so-called Ley Mordaza, removing from the Criminal Code the crimes of offending religious feelings and of slander and libel against the Crown and the legislative assemblies. It also demands transferring to the Generalitat the National Police station in Via Laietana, along with its archives and the resources needed to convert the building into a historical memory center.
Special funding and forgiveness of 17,100 million in debt
Regional financing occupies another prominent place in the electoral program. ERC demands that the new model agreed with the Government in January 2026 be made effective, which, according to its calculations, would allow Catalonia to have an additional €4.7 billion per year.
The party advocates a system based on the collection of taxes generated in Catalonia, with the State participating to fund its responsibilities and respect for the principle of ordinality. To move in that direction, it calls for the Agència Tributària de Catalunya to progressively assume the collection of all state taxes generated in the community.
It also demands completing the write-off of more than €17.1 billion in FLA debt, an operation which, according to the document, would allow the Generalitat to save around €1.5 billion annually in interest.
The program includes new transfers of competences, including the comprehensive management of migration and asylum, contributory and welfare benefits for unemployment through the Servei d'Ocupació de Catalunya (SOC), and pending functions of the Labour Inspectorate.
A Catalan rentals law and a minimum wage of 1,460 euros
In housing, ERC proposes that the State delegate to the Generalitat the power to approve a own Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos, with which Catalonia can regulate the rental market according to its needs.
The party also demands the free and immediate transfer of the Sareb properties located in Catalonia to expand the public housing stock, raising to 21% the VAT applied to tourist rentals, and allocating at least 1.5% of the state GDP to public housing policies.
In the wage sphere, the republicans defend establishing a Catalan minimum wage of 1,460 euros, in addition to raising the state minimum interprofessional wage to 60% of the average wage. To these measures they add a universal childcare benefit that would start at 200 euros per month per family.
Its labor program includes reducing the maximum working time to 37.5 hours per week without a pay cut and restoring compensation for unfair dismissal of 45 days per year worked, with a maximum of 42 monthly payments and back-pay wages.
On pensions, ERC proposes using a territorialized CPI to update benefits in line with the evolution of prices in each territory.
Rufián and Junqueras will travel around Catalonia with a central event in Barcelona on November 22
ERC has designed an electoral campaign with Gabriel Rufián and Oriol Junqueras as the main protagonists, accompanied by Elisenda Alamany and other leaders of the party. The schedule includes events in different Catalan municipalities, electoral debates, and sector meetings to present their proposals.
The presentation of the electoral program is scheduled for this Thursday, November 5, with Elisenda Alamany and Norma Pujol. On Saturday the 7th, Junqueras and Rufián will take part in an event in Badalona, while the official start of the campaign will be celebrated on Thursday, November 12 in Tarragona, with both leaders and Alamany.
Over the following weeks, the Republicans have scheduled events in Mataró, Tortosa, Mollet, Lloret de Mar, Lleida, Castellón and Figueres. The calendar also includes an appointment in Palma, on November 13, with Gabriel Rufián and the Ara Més formation.
The central campaign event will take place on Sunday, November 22 in Barcelona, with the participation of Rufián, Junqueras, Elisenda Alamany and Irene Montero. For the last week, ERC has reserved events in Vilafranca del Penedès, Manresa and Rubí, in addition to attending several electoral debates.
The campaign closing will be held on the Friday, November 27 in Sant Andreu de la Barca, with Junqueras, Alamany and Rufián. The formation will follow the results of the Sunday, 29 elections from the campus of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in the Ciutadella de Barcelona.
More taxes on great fortunes, banking, and energy companies
On fiscal policy, ERC advocates making the extraordinary levies on great fortunes, banking entities and energy companies permanent.
It also proposes raising from 30% to 35% the maximum rate applied to capital gains and reducing the taxation of earned income of less than 35,000 euros per year.
The party combines these measures with an agenda of social rights that includes equating single-parent families with large families, recognizing a paid work leave for gestational bereavement, giving legal recognition to non-binary identities, and prosecuting conversion practices criminally.
Protecting linguistic immersion and expanding the use of Catalan
The protection of Catalan is another of ERC's central commitments. The formation proposes to approve a State Law on Plurilingualism to ensure that citizens can relate to the institutions of the State in any of the official languages, regardless of the territory in which they find themselves. It also insists on claiming the official status of Catalan, Occitan, and the Catalan sign language in the European Union.
In the audiovisual sector, it proposes to reserve for productions in official languages at least 50% of the broadcast time dedicated to European works. Within that quota, TVE would have to dedicate a minimum of 25% to productions in official languages other than Spanish.
With regard to education policy, ERC wants to safeguard linguistic immersion against judicial rulings that impose teaching percentages in Spanish. To do so, it proposes modifying State legislation and strengthening the educational powers of the Generalitat.
It also calls for raising State public investment in education to 6% of GDP and progressively guaranteeing universal and free access to public education from zero to three years old.
The transfer of Rodalies and new competences over airports
On infrastructure, ERC demands the completion of the full transfer of Rodalies, both of service management through the new operating company and of the railway infrastructure planned in the transfer agreements. Among the lines mentioned are the R1, R2 Sud, R3, R4 Nord and R16.
The program also calls for Catalonia to assume management of the airports of Girona, Reus and Sabadell and for Girona and Reus to have connections with the high-speed rail network.
In matters of security, it proposes the direct integration of the Mossos d'Esquadra into Interpol and Europol, as well as full assumption of police competences in ports and airports. In justice, it calls for 180 new judicial positions in Catalonia to strengthen the response to recidivism.
Free dental and psychological care in public healthcare
ERC also proposes to expand the benefits financed by the public healthcare system to include full dental care, including treatments for cavities, root canals, and dental prostheses.
To this, it adds universal and free coverage of psychological care and mental health, as well as financing for prescription glasses and contact lenses prescribed by healthcare professionals.
At the municipal level, it calls for repealing the Law on the Rationalization and Sustainability of Local Government Administration (LRSAL) and for modifying the fiscal rules that limit the capacity for investment and borrowing by town councils.
Seizure of arms to Israel and change of position on the Sahara
In foreign policy, ERC calls for a complete arms embargo on Israel and for Spain to press to suspend the association agreement between the European Union and Israel.
It also demands that the Government reverse the change in position adopted in 2022 on Western Sahara, respect the European judicial rulings relating to agreements with Morocco, and reach the commitment to earmark 0.7% for Official Development Assistance.