The CIU of Artur Mas has won the Catalan election but with a reduced number of seats in the parliament and no absolute majority, meaning that Mas now has to negotiate pacts with some of the various smaller parties.
The CIU won 50 seats, 12 less than last time out and short of the 71 needed for an absolute majority. The early elections were called to gauge public opinion on the subject of sovereignty, a project which will now have to go back to the ‘pending’ pile.