ERC and Bildu will renew the coalition in the Senate

BarcelonaThe leadership of Esquerra Republicana and the Basque pro-independence party Bildu have agreed to repeat the joint candidacy of both parties for the Senate in the upcoming general elections on November 29, as reported by ERC in a statement. The grassroots of both sovereignist parties will ratify the proposal in the coming days. Both parties already ran for the Senate on a single ticket in the 2023 elections, despite their independent action within the chamber—notwithstanding the coordination between the organizations. A continuation of the collaboration between the pro-independence left, which contrasts with the desire of the republican leader in Madrid, Gabriel Rufián, to incorporate "other left-wing forces" in the State into a state-wide candidacy.

In fact, while ERC sees Rufián's candidacy on track to lead his party, the deputy's circle maintains silence, which explains why the agreement has not yet been finalized. The internal deadline to run in the state elections ends on Sunday afternoon, when there must be a resolution to the Rufián case once and for all. Be that as it may, while this understanding has not yet been reached, the secretary-general of ERC, Elisenda Alamany, stated in an interview this Saturday with El Nacional that her party will create "a great list" that "Gabriel Rufián will lead." However, in this impasse, the leader of Comuns at Barcelona City Council, Gerardo Pisarello, insisted in statements to the media that it is "important" for Rufián to take "this step" to unite the Spanish left, as proposed to him by former mayor Ada Colau this Friday. Pisarello recalled that several parties have proposed Colau as a "presidential" candidate, although if Rufián wanted to take the step, they would also "take him into account."

The agreement with Bildu

"Faced with the threat that a government of the reactionary bloc in the State would pose, the Basque and Catalan sovereignist lefts are clear that on November 29 there is room to run. And that it is possible to win," declares ERC in its statement, emphasizing shared independence. In this way, it concludes that "it is necessary to join forces and unite wills." The unified candidacy also seeks to "prioritize what our peoples share: the defense of their rights, decent living conditions, and their capacity to decide their future."

The two political formations ensure that "the response comes through collaboration." "ERC and EH Bildu consider that this historical conjuncture demands a long-term view and responsibility to build an alternative capable of standing up to the reactionary bloc," indicates the statement, with the aim of placing "the needs of the citizenry at the center" and prioritizing "the interests" of Catalonia and the Basque Country over "any partisan interest." Among the main policies that the two parties set for themselves are "the housing emergency," the "freedom" of the two nations, and "the expansion of citizens' rights."