Catalan separatists boost majority in regional poll ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE: Three separatist parties increased their total seat count by four, and the moderate ERC’s main candidate was likely to become the region’s leader AFP, BARCELONA, Spain Catalan separatist parties on Sunday boosted their parliamentary majority in a regional election that was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and marked by low turnout, more than three years after a failed bid to break away from Spain. With Spain still grappling with a third wave of coronavirus infections, the vote in the wealthy northeastern region was held under tight restrictions to reduce the risk of contagion.