Junts pel Sí (; , sometimes translated as "Together for the Yes"; JxSí) was a Catalan electoral, political and parliamentary alliance focused on achieving the independence of Catalonia from Spain. Established ahead of the 2015 Catalan regional election, it was formed by Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Democrats of Catalonia (DC), Left Movement (MES) and Independence Rally (RI.cat), as well as a number of independent personalities from pro-independence sectors of civil society, including the pro-independence organizations Catalan National Assembly, Òmnium and the Association of Municipalities for Independence. The Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) had been invited to participate in the alliance, but refused to do so and ran on its own instead, citing its disagreement with the presence of politicians in the list.
The constituent parties of JxSí formed a minority government after the 2015 election with confidence and supply support from the CUP, and it was responsible for organising the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and overseeing the subsequent constitutional crisis that it sparked. On 4 November 2017, ERC chose not to renew the alliance with the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT)—CDC's successor—for the 2017 Catalan regional election, having conditioned such event on it having been joined by the CUP, DC and disaffected members from Catalunya en Comú, a hypothesis which did not materialize.
History
Background
Prospects for the establishment of a unitary electoral list comprising the major pro-Catalan independence forces kicked off following the events of 2012, namely the 11 September independence demonstration in Barcelona, the 25 November regional election and the subsequent confidence and supply agreement between Convergence and Union (CiU)—the party federation comprising Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) and Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC)—and Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) following Catalan president Artur Mas's failure to secure an extended parliamentary majority in the election. Throughout 2013, CiU and ERC considered forming an electoral alliance of parties supporting self-determination for the 2014 European Parliament election, a proposal that also received the support of minor parties such as Ernest Maragall's New Catalan Left (NECat). The list did not materialize because of its rejection by Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) and the reluctance of ERC and UDC.
The issue of the unitary list rose up again in 2014, being proposed by CDC within the context of the self-determination vote on 9 November and discussions about holding a "plebiscitary" regional election at some point during the next year. The idea was rejected by ERC and the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), who demanded a snap election, but President Mas replied by pressuring them into a national unity candidacy as a necessary condition for calling an early election. Mas attempted to look for independents from the civil society to incorporate into his electoral list, allegedly as part of his pro-independence plan, in what came to be regarded as an attempt to dilute the CDC/CiU brand after the damage caused to it by the unveiling of major corruption scandals affecting the party, particularly those involving former president and CDC founder Jordi Pujol.
Contacts were established by both CDC and ERC with the pro-independence civil organizations Catalan National Assembly (or ANC) and Òmnium to probe their willingness to have their members join their candidacies ahead of such a plebiscitary election. Some media outlets and political actors also attributed CDC's insistence on the joint list proposal to "Mas's fears of losing re-election" to ERC, amid opinion polling showing both parties vying for victory in an eventual regional election; these rumours were cast off by CDC members defending that Mas was "not afraid" of running on his own, but that his plan still contemplated the establishment of such an electoral alliance with him at its helm. On the other hand, ERC advocated for all pro-independence parties agreeing on a common election manifesto and maintaining separate electoral lists but under a common umbrella, such as using the electoral formulas ERC–Ara es l'hora and CiU–Ara es l'hora (Catalan for "Now is the time").
Finally on 14 January 2015, Mas announced that he had reached an agreement with ERC to hold a "plebiscitary" election on 27 September—turned into an alternative vote on independence—with parties supporting self-determination including independence as a goal in their manifestos and with the issue of the unitary list still up.