The century-old party that transformed from underground resistance to governing Catalonia

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded nearly 100 years ago, the Republican Left of Catalonia has navigated civil war, clandestine resistance against Franco, and the complex path toward independence. Once an illegal movement, it recently secured the presidency of the Catalan government, marking a historic shift in the region's political landscape and its quest for sovereignty.

The Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) was established on 19 March 1931 at the Conference of the Catalan Left in Sants, Barcelona. Formed as a union between the Estat Català, the Catalan Republican Party, and the L'Opinió Group, the party quickly became a central force in Catalan politics. Its early years were defined by the leadership of Francesc Macià, who proclaimed the Catalan Republic within the Iberian Federation in April 1931, and later Lluís Companys, who served as President of the Generalitat.

Following the victory of Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War, the party was declared illegal in 1939. During the subsequent decades of dictatorship, the ERC operated underground, maintaining its presence through exile in France and clandestine networks within Catalonia. The party's leadership faced severe persecution; notably, former president Lluís Companys was arrested by Nazi agents and executed in Barcelona on 15 October 1940. It was not until the transition to democracy following Franco's death in 1975 that the party began to re-emerge, eventually regaining legal status and electoral relevance.

In the 21st century, the ERC became a pivotal player in the movement for Catalan independence, known as the Procés. After years of coalition governance and internal shifts, the party achieved a significant milestone in 2021 when Pere Aragonès was appointed President of the Generalitat, the first ERC member to hold the office since 1980. Despite the challenges of maintaining minority governments and the legal repercussions faced by its leaders following the 2017 independence referendum, the party remains a primary reference for left-wing Catalan independentism, continuing to shape the region's legislative and political future.

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