Free (political party) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Free
Lliures
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|---|---|
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| President | Antoni Fernández Teixidó |
| Secretary-General | Joaquim Álvarez Botey |
| Founded | 26 October 2016 |
| Registered | 13 December 2016 |
| Dissolved | 27 January 2022 |
| Split from | Democratic Convergence of Catalonia/Catalan European Democratic Party Democratic Union of Catalonia |
| Merged into | Centrem |
| Headquarters | C/ Muntaner, 248, 2º-1ª 08021, Barcelona |
| Ideology |
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| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| Colors | Pink |
| Slogan | Un partit nou, un nou estil ("A new party, a new style") |
Free (known as Lliures in Catalan) was a political party in Catalonia, a region in Spain. It was started in October 2016 by people who used to be part of other political groups.
The party saw itself as a liberal and Catalanist group. This means they believed in individual freedoms and supported the unique culture and identity of Catalonia. However, they were against Catalonia becoming fully independent from Spain.
Free wanted to create a big alliance of Catalanist parties that were not in favor of independence. On January 27, 2022, the party decided to join another group called Centrem and stopped existing as a separate party.
Contents
The Story of Free: A Political Journey
Starting Out and First Steps
Free was founded in October 2016. Its goal was to bring together people who believed in Catalan identity but wanted Catalonia to remain part of Spain. Some of its founders were important figures from other parties. For example, Antoni Fernández Teixidó was a former minister in the Catalan government.
Deciding Not to Run in 2017
The party gathered enough signatures to take part in the 2017 Catalan regional election. However, they chose not to run. At that time, there was a lot of political tension in Catalonia. This was because of a vote on independence and the Spanish government taking direct control over the region for a while. Free felt that this "strong political polarization" was not a good time for a new, moderate Catalanist party to enter the elections. They believed the atmosphere was not right for their message.
Looking for Alliances in 2019
Before the 2019 local elections in Barcelona, Free tried to team up with a political group led by Manuel Valls. He was a former Prime Minister of France. But there were disagreements, and the alliance did not work out. This led to Antoni Fernández Teixidó stepping down as the party's president.
Free also did not agree with Valls joining a protest in Madrid in February 2019. They thought this protest would only help a far-right party called Vox. Some members of Free disagreed with the party's direction. They wanted to keep working with Valls, even after he separated from another party called Citizens.
Meeting Other Catalanist Groups
In September 2019, Free attended a special meeting called the "Poblet Meeting." About 200 people from other moderate Catalanist groups were there. They discussed the future of their political space. They were concerned about some leaders pushing for Catalonia to become independent without agreement from Spain.
The meeting included people from parties like PDeCAT (the successor to CDC) and others. They wanted to find a way forward that was more balanced and less focused on a one-sided declaration of independence.
Plans for Merging and New Alliances
Free had plans to merge with another party called the Democratic League (LD) in March 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain caused delays and then the suspension of these plans.
By June 2020, Free decided to aim for an even bigger alliance. They wanted to include more parties, such as Els Units and the newly formed Nationalist Party of Catalonia (PNC).
On July 15, 2020, it was announced that Free would form an alliance with LD and Convergents (CNV). This alliance was for the 2021 Catalan regional election. Their main goals were to expand Catalonia's self-government and create a fair financial agreement with Spain. They also continued to oppose Catalonia's full independence.
Images for kids
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The logo of the Free (Lliures) party.
See also
In Spanish: Lliures para niños
