ERC, CUP and Comuns explore the Rufián route in Igualada

BarcelonaThe proposal by ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián to form a broad left-wing and pro-independence front in the Spanish elections does not have the backing of the ERC leadership, which has distanced itself from it from the outset, and can only boast of having on its side to his comrade in arms, Joan TardàHowever, at the municipal level, their approach is viewed favorably by the Republican leadership, especially if the parties run under their electoral umbrella. This is what will happen in Igualada. The municipal groups of ERC, CUP, and Comuns announced a preliminary agreement this Monday to run jointly in the 2027 municipal elections.

In an appearance before the City Council, the three parties justified the creation of a cross-party candidacy to bring about "change" in the city, as requested by the citizens' movement Ara Igualada, which published a manifesto calling precisely for this union of forces in a single list to build an alternative after four consecutive terms governed by CiU and Junts per Igualada, with Marc Castells at the helm, who in the last elections fell one councilor short of an absolute majority.

As has been detailed, the Republicans will be responsible for proposing the mayoral candidate, while the CUP will appoint the group's spokesperson. Both parties won three council seats in the previous elections, but the Republicans surpassed the anti-capitalists by 400 votes, despite losing two seats. The preliminary agreement stipulates that the first seven positions on the list will be divided equally between ERC and the CUP—with three members each—and one for Comuns, which failed to secure any seats in the last elections with less than 2% of the vote.

The preliminary agreement includes running under the name Ara Igualada, the name of the citizens' platform, and under the same electoral brand as ERC, with a "shared program and a common image," and a commitment to forming a "progressive, republican, and transformative government." ERC spokesperson Enric Conill admitted that the agreement was reached "as a result of a spark from the citizens that needed to be addressed." "We have been working separately for many years on very similar policies, and the public will understand that it now makes perfect sense to work together from the outset," he argued, without confirming whether he will run as the lead candidate. From Comuns Igualada, spokesperson Rafa Moya explained that "they like the project" and believe it "is good for the city."

CUP's rejection

The joint candidacy has the support of ERC and Comuns, but not of the CUP's national leadership. Sources within the pro-independence party have made it clear that they will only allow local assemblies to run under their party's banner. "The CUP does not endorse our candidates forming coalitions with ERC or any other party, nor running under their umbrella," they stated. In fact, last week the CUP leadership already distanced itself from the joint ERC-CUP candidacy in Malgrat de Mar. In this town in the Maresme region, the Republicans won three council seats, while the CUP won one, in an election where the PSC came in first with five representatives, followed by Junts with four. Now, both parties want this joint "municipalist, left-wing, and open" candidacy to be "a catalyst for change in the town."

Also last week, the CUP leadership disavowed the alliance with Junts in Tàrrega to oust ERC, which governed in coalition with the PSC, from the municipal government. The national secretariat denounced the decision by the CUP members in the capital of Urgell, stating that it went against their directives not to grant mayoralties to either Junts or the PSC, and that they had already been notified of this.