ERC gives JxCat new ultimatum and considers removing Consell per la República from the investiture negotiations

BarcelonaMay 20 is the new deadline set by the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) for an agreement with Together for Catalonia (JxCat): if in 14 days the government agreement has not arrived, the republicans say that "they will explore other possibilities", in words of Sergi Sabrià, member of the negotiating team. This is the Republicans' second ultimatum in two months of negotiation. The first, on May 1, expired without an agreement and without consequences, because ERC decided to continue trusting Carles Puigdemont's party. But despite the fact that just three days ago the party's spokeswoman, Marta Vilalta, assured that there had been a "turning point" - immediately denied by Junts - in statements to TV3 Sabrià regretted that the negotiations are advancing "slowly" on some issues. The Consell per la República continues being one of the main obstacles and ERC has opened the door to leaving it out of the negotiations for the investiture. "It is clear that the strategy to reach a republic is absolutely essential to continue working, but we should be able to be able to be already governing at the same time as we take it forward," he has defended.

ERC has decided to mark a new date on the calendar because negotiations are advancing "slowly", despite admitting that in recent weeks contacts have intensified and, more than two months after starting the talks, they have begun to talk about the structure of government. On Wednesday, as advanced by the ARA, Junts proposed maintaining the number of Government Departments, bringing together the Department of Justice and Home Affairs, while creating a new Feminisms Department. This was the response to the initial proposal that ERC made in Lledoners to expand the Government to fourteen departments and unite Climate Action and Foreign Affairs, also advanced by this newspaper. At the moment, JxCat amended the structure that the Republicans had thought of, and Sabrià has said that JxCat does not see it "exactly like them": "Some piece will have to move". Even so, he assured that the government structure "will not be a problem".

Although progress has been made in relation to the government structure, there are still many points of disagreement between the partners. However, the case of the Consell per la República is special. From the first minute a clash of strategies was detected, which already led ERC to ask for the negotiations to be separated so as not to endanger Pere Aragonès's investiture and the formation of the new Government. In spite of the numerous conversations on the subject and the fact that the Consell itself is holding meetings with all pro-independence players, the obstacles remain where they were: ERC defends that the roadmap for independence should be decided in Catalonia within the framework of the Parliament and the Government, and Junts considers that the structure of the Consell per la República is the most appropriate, even if it needs to be reformulated.

Two years for the negotiating table

If the talks are advancing and, as Sabrià says, there are no major obstacles, why is ERC putting forward a new ultimatum? The Republican MP has pointed out that setting the date of May 1 allowed "progress" and now they understand that setting May 20 on the calendar should also allow them to accelerate the talks (although the deadline is very close). Another aspect that is being discussed is the dialogue table, on which the Sabrià believes there is a "good point of agreement". It consists, he explained, of taking advantage of the opportunity but at the same time "being very careful" in assessing progress and working with indicators to evaluate the results. In this sense, he said that there is a consensus among the pro-independence parties "even if it is minimal". Basically it means, as ERC has agreed with the CUP, that the table will have two years' time before the pro-independence movement decides whether it has borne fruit or it should look for an alternative.

According to ERC, they will have time to talk about everything until 20 May. Afterwards, JxCat will have to submit the agreement to its members and they will decide whether the party should enter the coalition Government. Sabrià claims ERC found out about this through the press, although JxCat says they explained it to Pere Aragonès at the meeting in Lledoners last Saturday. At the moment, three JxCat heavyweights have already said Junts must not keep out of the executive: Minister for the Presidency Meritxell Budó last week; Minister for Home Affairs Miquel Sàmper in an interview to ARA this Wednesday; and Minister for Territory Damià Calvet this Thursday in statements in Catalunya Ràdio. "I do not foresee any other possibility," said Calvet.

"As much coordination as they want, but no subordination"

Coordination of pro-independence forces in the Spanish Parliament remains a bone of contention. The mains issue is when will a unitary vote of pro-independence parties be required and when will they be allowed to negotiate separately. For now, the leader of ERC in the Spanish Parliament, Gabriel Rufián, insists that it will not vote the same as Junts and CUP on all issues: "As much coordination as they want, but no subordination," he said in an interview with TVE. Rufián, recalling that ERC has 13 deputies and JxCat has 4, has pointed out that each party has to assume the electoral results and also its electoral programme. "I do not see myself voting as Junts has done in favour of an initiative for express evictions," he said. Even so, he has shown himself convinced that the agreement will come because Junts members who believe that it is better to stay out of the executive are a minority. Some profiles, he says, are very right-wing and that "if they were from Madrid would surely vote for Ayuso".