The other eighty per cent

Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has demanded consensus of over 75% from Catalan society. Over time there have been numerous polls that say some 80% of Catalans are in favour of resolving the political conflict between Catalonia and Spain with a referendum, but there is also another 80% that Sánchez needs to address: almost 8 out of 10 Catalans say they are not satisfied with how democracy works in Spain, according to the latest poll by the Centre of Opinion Studies (CEO), with only 16% saying they are satisfied.

Most think that politicians do not take what people think into consideration and are only out for their own benefit, although they also think everyday people can influence what parties do. What’s more, Spanish politicians score worse than their Catalan counterparts, with an average score of 2.2 and 4 out of 10, respectively.

After an autumn of protests and a winter ahead marked by the trial of pro-independence leaders, 66% of Catalans believe social protest is an efficient tool for making political representatives change direction, while 25% think taking to the streets is useless. The poll was carried out in October and November.

The feeling that democracy in Spain is deficient is widespread in Catalonia. The disaffection with Spanish institutions is also reflected in a rejection of the Constitution: if a referendum on the 1978 Constitution were to take place today, some 57% of Catalans would vote against it.

When Catalans are asked about the country’s main problems, dissatisfaction with politicians is top (40%), followed by the relationship between Catalonia and Spain (36%). In the previous poll, the numbers were the other way around, while the percentage of Catalans who think dissatisfaction with politics is the main problem has grown from 23% to 27%.