Catalan Alliance breaks into Congress

MadridThe influence that Aliança Catalana (AC) has in Congress cannot be calculated with the number of deputies – it did not stand in the last elections – but the survey of The Vanguard The announcement from last Sunday, which places Sílvia Orriols's party on the verge of becoming the second largest force in Catalonia, is resonating strongly in Madrid. It's just as true that it's been almost two years since Junts agreed with the PSOE to transfer immigration powers to the Generalitat (Catalan government)—in January 2024, before Orriols's entry into Parliament—as it is that, now that AC is hot on its heels, Junts has raised its tone against the newcomers.

That Tuesday's debate was a question of competencies and not immigration policies—as Míriam Nogueras stated—is an argument that fell flat just a few minutes later, when an initiative by Carles Puigdemont's party to tighten access to paternity leave for migrant workers was debated. Furthermore, Nogueras stated yesterday that "the survival of our identity is not guaranteed," as Orriols would say, and that "many middle- and working-class people are excluded" from aid because they host migrants, as Vox would say.

"It's like football. Playing in the other party's half doesn't give you an advantage. Immigration is a CA issue. And losing a vote two days after the poll..." reflects a PSOE leader, surprised by Junts' strategy. However, Orriols's rising electoral prospects also negatively impact the Socialists. Sources at the Moncloa government admit their "concern" about a "global trend" of far-right growth and are keeping their fingers crossed that the Catalan Alliance's pressure on Junts doesn't lead Puigdemont to further complicate Pedro Sánchez's term. The problem is that many aren't thinking in terms of stability, but rather in terms of elections—Sánchez has already said he doesn't need to approve a budget—and who knows if AC will then burst onto the scene with deputies in Congress.