ERC resolves the crisis in Girona: from accusations of electoral fraud to ratifying Puigtió as mayoral candidate

GironaThe Esquerra Republicana Guarantees Commission has confirmed Marc Puigtió as the lead candidate for the 2027 Girona municipal elections, after rejecting the three challenges filed following the primaries last SeptemberThe former mayor of Sant Julià de Ramis, who has been campaigning intensely since January under a new brand without the Esquerra logo, Moviment Gironí, defeated former Education Delegate Adam Manyé by a single vote in September in a process that had been hanging in the balance until this week. Finally, the party's committee, citing the jurisprudence of the Central Electoral Board (JEC), has determined that the annulled ballot, which contained a sticker with the ERC logo over the name of candidate Manyé, was correctly invalidated. The other two challenges—one alleging a lack of impartiality on the part of the polling station officials and another questioning the entire process—have also been dismissed by the party's legal experts.

Beyond the controversy surrounding the contested primaries, the candidacy has also generated controversy this week because, just days before the resolution, the Girona branch of ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia) added around twenty new members aligned with Puigtió, sparking accusations of manipulation. The fact is, however, that these new members have no bearing on the process, since, according to ERC sources, if the committee had determined that a revote was necessary, it would have been conducted using the September census, without taking the new members into account. "They joined now because the primaries have already taken place and because they believe in my project as a candidate," Puigtió explained to ARA, adding: "My intention is to recruit another 20 members by the end of the year. I believe we need to start modernizing the party's membership in Girona, and naturally, I need to surround myself with the right people."

With the support of Junqueras, but not of the Girona executive committee

Puigtió also has the backing and approval of Oriol Junqueras' national executive committee, but not that of the Girona executive committee led by current councilor and First Deputy Mayor Quim Ayats, who supported Manyé in September. For now, the Girona governing body has not yet announced whether they will accept the results and support Puigtió's campaign in May 2027 as the party's mayoral candidate, or whether, on the contrary, they will hand over the position to a new leadership that fully supports the new candidate's project. "I am willing to bring on board all those who want to work enthusiastically and constructively, and if not, they should step aside to make way for the work," Puigtió commented.

The future ERC mayoral candidate in Girona is also vice president of the Gironès County Council and finance councilor in the Sant Julià City Council, where the party governs with an absolute majority. The Junts councilors in this municipality, who are in opposition, have criticized this week "the ethics of combining a council seat with a bid for the mayoralty of Girona." Puigtió, however, responds that "I won the Sant Julià elections with an absolute majority, saying I would serve two years as mayor and two as a councilor so I could dedicate myself to the Girona project. I explained this from the beginning, and I owe my allegiance to the municipality until the end." In a year and a half, he will leave his council seat to dedicate himself fully to the Girona campaign, confident of achieving good results in a district historically difficult for Esquerra.