Josep Pallach i Carolà

Who is Josep Pallach i Carolà?

Josep Pallach i Carolà was the Social democratic leader of Catalonia who most likely would have become the first democratic president of Catalonia had he survived a few more years. Libertarian communist during his youth, he fought with the Republic and was a leader of several antifrancoist movements.

When time came for democratic organization, he opposed maximalist-Marxian views of socialism and communism. He attempted the creation of a Catalan Socialist party including Marxist socialists and left liberals, but adherence to pure Marxian values by Catalan socialists lead them to partner instead with the socialist branch of the Spanish Socialist party. His death explains the current divide between Catalan liberal-conservative coalition of CiU and the socialist federation of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party alongside the eco-socialist and republican left.