Ada Colau's request that has infuriated ERC (and which Rufián also shares)

BarcelonaFollowing her expedition with the Flotilla to denounce the genocide in Gaza, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau reappeared at an event organized by the Common Sense Foundation. In her inaugural address at the political training school of Comuns, the former leader of Barcelona en Comú and president of the party delivered a message focused on the importance of social justice. think tank He was clear: "It would be unacceptable if, in upcoming elections—we're not talking about the immediate future, because there's still some time to go—progressive democratic forces are unable to organize themselves in whatever way necessary to build broad democratic popular fronts capable of stopping the right and the far right." This is a message that Barcelona en Comú... It was put into circulation in the summer, with the idea of trying to bring positions closer with ERC and the CUP. looking ahead to 2027. The proposal, however, arouses suspicion among Republicans, although a similar one has emerged from their ranks: The proposal by the ERC spokesperson in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, to create a plurinational front of the left in the State which the party leadership itself has ruled out.

Colau's words were not well received in Esquerra, who reminded her of what happened in 2019 He retained the mayoralty thanks to the votes of Manuel VallsDespite the fact that the Republican Ernest Maragall had won the elections and that there was a possibility of governing together, Elisenda Alamany, the leader of the Republicans in Barcelona and general secretary of ERC, wrote to X, "It would be unforgivable to make a pact with Valls in 2019 or with the PP in 2023. At least spare us the moralizing drivel." Other ERC members, such as former Speaker of the Catalan Parliament Carme Forcadell, expressed similar sentiments on social media. "I also considered it unforgivable that she became mayor with the votes of Manuel Valls of Ciutadans," she criticized. In 2019, Maragall had won the elections in Barcelona, and Comuns refused to form a coalition; Colau did not negotiate with Valls for his votes, but she did accept his support to remain mayor, with the backing of the PSC.

However, sources within Comunes consulted by ARA clarify that Colau's words were more of a "general reflection, mainly focused on the state framework," in line with the calls made by Sumar to try to strengthen relations between the parties in the candidacy, and even to bring Podemos back into the fold. that stands apart"He made no reference to the PSOE or any other political party. It was a reflection in line with what he has always defended regarding the unity of the left," these sources added.

Rufián's proposal

Other sources within the coalition suggest that there is a consensus within Sumar that renewing the agreement is essential for the left to have any chance of retaining power and preventing a PP-Vox government in Spain (or even a PP government with the abstention of the Socialists). However, for this to work, they would have to explore another framework, because the Sumar one, they admit, hasn't quite worked. This is a similar argument to the one Rufián made when he proposed a plurinational front for the general elections, bringing together everyone from Bildu to Podemos, including Compromís, the BNG, and the forces within Sumar. At that time, Commons did not support this proposalThe co-coordinator of the party, Candela López, called for avoiding "false debates about agreements" with ERC at the national level, a debate she believes only leads to "discredit and distrust."

Rufián's idea It was also not well received by the national leadership of ERC. —and generated unease in a large part of the party—, that He avoided disavowing him as spokesperson But she made it clear that this understanding is only on the table for the European elections, where the Republicans join forces with other nationalist forces within Spain to improve their chances of representation in a single-constituency electoral system. Alamany reiterated this recently, ruling out an electoral agreement with Comuns in Barcelona and asserting that ERC is an "independence" party with its own platform for Barcelona. "We are very clear about our proposals and our strategy; perhaps the others still need to define themselves and are getting nervous. I am convinced that our party is the one that best understands people's needs, and that will be reflected in the results. Afterwards, we will reach agreements with whomever is necessary, but initially, everyone has to forge their own path," she said.