ERC negotiates with Rufián while preparing an alternative without him

BarcelonaEsquerra opened its internal process on Monday to choose its candidate for the next general elections, and Gabriel Rufián has not yet confirmed whether he wants to represent the party in Madrid again. In fact, negotiations between the leadership and Rufián remain open, without any agreement having been reached so far. The relationship between Rufián and the republican leadership has been tense for some time, especially after the republican spokesperson launched a push for a left-wing front across the State—which the ERC leadership rejects. The party, however, has finally decided to seek a plan B in case Rufián ends up declining to lead the candidacy and has already put forward an alternative name, that of deputy Jordi Albert, as reported by El Periódico and confirmed by ARA. Albert has already begun collecting endorsements to present his candidacy.

However, after it was made public that the leadership was already preparing an alternative in case Rufián said no, the republican leader himself tweeted. "I want to represent Esquerra Republicana," he wrote. Nevertheless, he asserted that he is asking for "minimum conditions" to run and stand up "with enough guarantees and courage for what is to come." Rufián has once again defended a joint candidacy with other political forces: "I am trying to do it accompanied by other left-wing and anti-fascist forces because this cannot be won alone. And I will try until the end. And I hope ERC wants it too." As long as there is no agreement, the name of Jordi Albert is the one the leadership is considering in case Rufián falls through. The leadership continues to close the door on Oriol Junqueras being the candidate, even though it is an option that has been proposed to the republican leader and which he has rejected.

In recent days, the republican leadership has opened negotiations with Rufián and his circle. Without going any further, this very Wednesday the two parties held a meeting, as ARA has learned. A meeting that did not end with any agreement. The republican spokesperson has placed a series of conditions on the leadership's table to be the republicans' candidate. What Rufián had requested until now was for ERC to lead a broad front with the rest of the formations to the left of the PSOE, but the leadership rejects this scenario. The republican spokesperson had also demanded to have a trusted team by his side, taking into account that the relationship with the current parliamentary group was completely broken, and to have more influence on the decisions that depend on Madrid.

Of the names that until now occupied an ERC seat in Congress, Jordi Salvador and Pilar Vallugera have announced that they will not continue. Salvador is one of the deputies who lashed out at Rufián a few months ago following the standoff he had initiated with the leadership to move forward with a broad front. This Wednesday, Vallugera, in an interview with 3Cat, also subtly criticized that Rufián was the ideal candidate to represent ERC: "I would like a candidate who was dying to represent ERC". In his tweet, Rufián also sent a message to the critics: "I will not enter into any soap opera nor will I criticize anyone no matter how much lies are told and no matter how much is leaked".

Of the current deputies in Congress, Teresa Jordà has indeed decided to continue, having announced her candidacy for Girona. In this constituency, however, she will have an opponent, because, according to consulted sources, Etna Estrems, who was also part of the current parliamentary group, will also run. For Tarragona, the current Republican deputy secretary Norma Pujol will opt, and for Lleida, the current deputy, Inés Granollers. In the Senate, Sara Bailac, who until now had a place in the upper house, has announced that she will not continue; while Joan Queralt is indeed collecting endorsements to repeat as a senator.