ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the electoral contests for the light they shed on the Comuns’ political standing, through Barcelona en Comu and Catalunya en Comu. It discusses the outcome of the elections for their coalition implications in Barcelona, since in the context of persisting party system fragmentation, the Comuns will need to collaborate with other parties now more than previously if they are to achieve majorities on the city council. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the Socialists triumphed by winning back part of the vote lost to confluences in 2015. At the municipal level, the new balance of forces led the Comuns to make more significant policy concessions to the Socialists as well as concede a larger share of the political appointments than during the first coalition, as the price paid to secure stable government of the city and a reinforcement of policy initiatives at the metropolitan level.
