From the chronicle of a correspondent of Enric Sopena (Barcelona, 1945-Madrid, 2024) for the newspaper Madrid (30-IX-1971). Own translation. The Ministry of Information opened a disciplinary case against Sopena for writing this piece on the “elections to attorneys for family representation in the Cortes”. Two years later – in October 1973 – Sopena was arrested for attending as a journalist the clandestine meeting of the Assembly of Catalonia that took place in the church of Maria Mitjancera. Enric Sopena, with a long and intense professional career, died last July 7.
The two highlights of yesterday’s election day in Catalonia are the resounding victory of Eduardo Tarragona in Barcelona and the defeat of Fabià Estapé in Girona. It is also necessary to emphasize the withdrawal of voters. According to official figures, still provisional in the province of Barcelona, more than 45 per cent of the census took part. (…) Despite accepting this figure, the setback compared to the elections of four years ago is significant: then the official figures indicated for Barcelona the percentage of 53 per 100. In the province of Barcelona the failure of the “official” candidacy ” has been notorious. Eduardo Tarragona has so far achieved nearly 340,000 votes. Juan Antonio Samaranch, in second place, has obtained almost 100,000 fewer votes; that is, about 240,000. Torras Trías has not reached 210,000. As for the “democratic candidacy” Barenys-Casassas, the results are considered logical, 70,000 and 65,000, respectively. The votes in this case are qualitative, because the fight between two unknowns and the other candidates who have allocated many millions to the campaign has been completely disproportionate. On the other hand, no one is unaware that the present circumstances, with the well-known propaganda restrictions, do not at all favor clearly dissenting candidates like Barenys and Casassas. The great moral loser has undoubtedly been Juan Antonio Samaranch. It is only necessary to remember that in 1967 the then National Sports Delegate gathered the amount of 526,366 votes, the highest number anywhere in Spain. Now, he has reached, barely, half and he has not managed to tow his ally, the president of the Provincial Council of Employers despite the extraordinary monetary investment that has meant the campaign for the candidates Samaranch and Torras Trías. For example, yesterday at each electoral college there were ten to fifteen young people hired by Samaranch and Torras Trías handing out ballots. Each collaborator of this kind received 500 pesetas and ten cents per vote obtained. In addition, of course, the auditors and proxies. While both Tarragona and Barenys and Casassas had far fewer ballot distributors; and, importantly, all of them volunteers. (…) In the province of Girona there has been the spectacular stumble of the deputy commissioner of the Development Plan, Fabià Estapé, a candidate who has obtained 56,324 votes, surpassed by Joan Botanch, with 61,550, and Maurici Duran, with 57,591 . The fact is greater if we bear in mind that in the capital city of Girona, López Rodó’s collaborator has come in last place, behind the candidate Julián Arenas, and with only 4,746 votes. As for Lleida and Tarragona, the candidates Joaquin Viola and Blas Mola, and Fernando Bau and Joan Mestre have won, respectively. Messrs. Viola, Mola and Bau belong to well-rooted families among the notables of their provinces, so their victory in elections like those held yesterday should not be surprising.
Source: www.ara.cat
