Editing Convergence and Union (section)

{{Redirect|CiU|the British association of social clubs known as the CIU|Working Men's Club and Institute Union}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox political party|
| country          = Spain
| name             = Convergence and Union
| native_name      = Convergència i Unió
| colorcode        = {{party color|Convergence and Union}}
| logo             = Logo CiU.png
| abbreviation     = CiU
| president        = [[Artur Mas]]
| general_secretary = [[Ramon Espadaler]]
| foundation       = {{Start date|df=yes|1978|09|19}} {{small|(coalition)}}<br/>{{Start date|df=yes|2001|12|02}} {{small|(federation)}}
| dissolution      = {{End date|df=yes|2015|06|18}}
| predecessor      = [[Democratic Pact for Catalonia]]<br/>[[Democracy and Catalonia]]
| successor        = [[Junts pel Sí]]
| headquarters     = C/ Còrsega, 331-333<br/>08037, [[Barcelona]]
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 |[[Catalan nationalism]]<ref name="Dowling">{{Citation |first=Andrew |last=Dowling |title=Convergència i Unió, Catalonia and the new Catalanism |work=The Politics of Contemporary Spain |publisher=Rotledge |year=2005 |page=106}}</ref><ref name="Bukowski">{{Citation |first=Jeanie |last=Bukowski |title=Party Politics and Regional Strategies in Spain |work=Between Europeanization and Local Societies: The Space for Territorial Governance |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2003 |page=173}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first=Eve |last=Hepburn |title=Degrees of Independence: SNP Thinking in an International Context |work=The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2009 |page=199}}</ref>
 |'''Factions:'''
 |[[Populism]]<ref name="HistDict"/>
 |[[Christian democracy]]<ref name="Dowling"/><ref name="Pallares">{{Citation |first1=Francesc |last1=Pallarés |first2=Michael |last2=Keating |title=Multi-level electoral competition: sub-state elections and party systems in Spain |work=Devolution and electoral politics |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2006}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first=Frans |last=Schrijver |title=Regionalism after Regionalisation |publisher=Vossiuspers, Amsterdam University Press |year=2006 |page=112}}</ref>
 |[[Liberalism]]<ref name="Dowling"/><ref name="Pallares"/>
 |[[Conservatism]]<ref name="Dowling"/><ref name="Bukowski"/><ref name="HistDict"/>
 |[[Catalan independentism]]<ref>{{Citation |first=Franz |last=Valandro |title=A Nation of Nations: Nationalities' Policies in Spain |publisher=Peter Lang |year=2002 |page=83}}</ref>
 |[[Social democracy]]<ref name="Gibbons">{{Citation |first=John |last=Gibbons |title=Spanish politics today |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=1999 |page=51}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first=Donald |last=McNeill |title=Urban Change and the European Left: Tales from the New Barcelona |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 |pages=92, 184}}</ref>
}}
| position         = {{nowrap|[[Centrism|Centre]]<ref name="Paluzie 2010 366">{{Citation |first=Elisenda |last=Paluzie |author-link=Elisenda Paluzie |title=The costs and benefits of staying together: the Catalan case in Spain |work=The Political Economy of Inter-Regional Fiscal Flows: Measurement, Determinants and Effects on Country Stability |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |year=2010 |page=366}}</ref><ref name="HistDict">{{Citation |first=Angel |last=Smith |title=Historical Dictionary of Spain |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2009 |pages=199–202}}</ref><ref name="Greenwood">{{Citation |first1=Howard J. |last1=Wiarda |first2=Margaret |last2=Macleish Mot |title=Catholic Roots and Democratic Flowers: Political Systems in Spain and Portugal |publisher=Greenwood |year=2001 |page=138}}</ref> to [[centre-right politics|centre-right]]{{refn|<ref>{{cite book|author-link1=Josep Colomer |first=Josep Maria |last=Colomer |title=Political institutions in Europe |publisher=Routledge |year=2002 |page=183 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Z0KpNK-gZgC&q=convergence+and+union+centre+right&pg=PA183 |access-date=24 November 2011|isbn=9780415267908 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Bartłomiej |last=Znojek |title=Parliamentary Elections in Spain |journal=PISM Bulletin |publisher=The Polish Institute of International Affairs |volume=104 |issue=321 |date=18 November 2011 |url=http://www.pism.pl/files/?id_plik=9055 |access-date=24 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426001623/http://www.pism.pl/files/?id_plik=9055 |archive-date=26 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Spain: Political structure |newspaper=The Economist |date=17 July 2009 |url=http://www.economist.com/node/14066406 |access-date=24 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Connor |title=Catalan election result deals blow to embattled Spanish government |publisher=DW World |date=29 November 2011 |url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6275836,00.html |access-date=24 November 2011}}</ref>}}}}
| national         = [[Galeusca–Peoples of Europe|Galeusca]] (2004–2009)<br>[[Coalition for Europe (2009)|Coalition for Europe]] (2009–2014)<br>[[Coalition for Europe (2014)|Coalition for Europe]] (2014–2019)
| colours          = {{Color box|{{party color|Convergence and Union}}|border=darkgray}} [[Dark blue (colour)|Dark blue]] (customary)<br/>{{Color box|#EF8A00|border=darkgray}} [[Orange (colour)|Orange]] (official)
| european         = [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]] (CDC)<br/>{{nowrap|[[European People's Party]] (UDC)}}
| europarl         = [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group|ALDE Group]] (CDC)<br/>[[European People's Party group|EPP Group]] (UDC)
| international    = [[Liberal International]] (CDC)<br />[[Centrist Democrat International]] (UDC)
| website          = {{URL|http://www.ciu.cat/}}
}}
'''Convergence and Union''' ({{langx|ca|Convergència i Unió}}, '''CiU'''; {{IPA|ca|kumbəɾˈʒɛnsi.əj uniˈo|IPA}}) was a [[Catalan nationalist]] [[electoral alliance]] in [[Catalonia]], Spain. It was a federation of two constituent parties, the larger [[Democratic Convergence of Catalonia]] (CDC) and its smaller counterpart, the [[Democratic Union of Catalonia]] (UDC). It was dissolved on 18 June 2015.

CiU was a [[Catalan nationalism|Catalan nationalist]] coalition. During its lifespan, it was usually seen as a moderate nationalist party in Spain, although a significant part of its membership had shifted to open Catalan [[independence|independentism]] during the party's last years, and by 2014 demonstrated its intention to hold a referendum on Catalan independence. There is some debate as to whether the coalition was [[conservatism|conservative]]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jun/07/spain.jamessturcke | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=James | last=Sturcke | title=Catalan conundrum | date=7 June 2006}}</ref> or [[centrist]]. [[Liberalism|Liberal]] tendencies dominate the larger CDC, while the smaller UDC is a [[Christian democracy|Christian democratic]] party.<ref>{{cite book |title=Devolution and Electoral Politics |last1=Hough |first1=Dan |last2=Jeffery |first2=Charlie |year=2006 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |isbn=978-0-7190-7330-4 |page=101 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cj7LQHiITqQC }}</ref> As for its position in the nationalist debate, it was deliberately ambiguous so as to appeal to the broadest spectrum possible, from voters who seek full [[Catalan independentism|independence from Spain]] to those who are generally satisfied with the present self-government status. In general, the CDC tends to be more supportive of Catalan sovereignty, while the UDC is considered closer to traditional Catalan [[Autonomism (political doctrine)|autonomism]] and more nuanced nationalism. The electoral manifesto for the elections in 2012 states that "we want to build a wide social majority so that Catalonia can have its own State in the European frame, because Catalonia has the will to become a normal country among world's countries and nations".

In the [[2012 Catalonian parliamentary election|2012 regional elections]], CiU won 30.71% of the vote. It lost 12 seats in the [[Parliament of Catalonia|Catalan Parliament]], bringing them to a total of 50 deputies. While they have more than twice as many deputies as any other party, they were left 18 seats short of a majority in the 135-member body. After the election, they entered into coalition with the [[Republican Left of Catalonia]] (ERC), which has a completely different political orientation but also supports Catalan independence. ''[[El Periódico de Catalunya]]'' reported in August 2013 that the coalition may break apart due to fractions within the union about Catalan independence, with UDC opposing secessionism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20130819/unio-ya-piensa-en-una-candidatura-al-margen-de-cdc-2584889|title=Unió ya piensa en una candidatura al margen de CDC|first=FIDEL MASREAL /|last=Barcelona|date=19 August 2013|website=elperiodico}}</ref>

On 18 June 2015 CDC spokespersons declared the CiU federation "finished", albeit amenable to an "amicable" separation. This occurred after an  [[ultimatum]] had been issued by President Mas to UDC, due to their diverging positions on the Catalan independence process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ara.cat/politica/Josep_Rull-comite_de_direccio-CDC-Unio-federacio_0_1378062345.html|title=Convergència enterra la federació: "El projecte polític de CiU s'ha acabat i cal una separació amistosa"|date=18 June 2015|website=Ara.cat}}</ref>