Internal complaint against Rufián for "disloyalty": they ask to remove him as spokesperson in Congress

BarcelonaIt is well known that within ERC, the project for the unity of the left, promoted by Gabriel Rufián, has not, for the moment, gained many supporters. On the contrary, there is no shortage of detractors, such as the Col·lectiu 1 d'Octubre, a minority sector but with its own voice in the party, which has filed an internal complaint for "disloyalty" against the Republican leader in Madrid. The complaint, filed with the Commission of Guarantees, asks the body to investigate Rufián's "actions" for possible violation of Esquerra's statutes. But it doesn't stop there: as a precautionary measure, it requests his temporary removal as spokesperson in Congress.

In the opinion of the Col·lectiu, the recent "political actions" of the deputy "clearly deviate" from the party's official positions. The members of this sector, who refer to events with figures from other parties in an attempt to build a left-wing front in the next general election, emphasize that these are not "isolated" actions: "They would form part of a strategy of their own aimed at promoting a political space at the state level outside of Esquerra Republicana's project," they warn.

They also criticize Rufián for having initiated this process without "organic mandate or prior internal debate" and consider that this could "gravely violate" ERC's statutes, especially concerning the "duty of loyalty, internal democratic discipline, and the obligation to submit strategic decisions to the party's bodies." They add that all of this generates "confusion" among the membership and electorate and harms the organization's "credibility."

The Collective asks that, if the investigation they request confirms their complaints, "disciplinary measures" be taken against the leader in Congress. But they also demand action now: while the procedure is resolved, they propose the "temporary limitation" of representative functions, "including his withdrawal as ERC spokesperson in Congress".

Until now, Rufián's project had encountered a resounding 'no' from the party, both from the leadership and from the leader himself, Oriol Junqueras, and this is the first formal action against him, in this case born from the militancy. It should be taken into account, in any case, that the Colectivo 1 de Octubre, a current critical of the leadership, is a minority among the militancy. In the last elections for the republican presidency, in fact, his candidacy (Recuperem Esquerra) did not obtain enough endorsements to participate in the electoral process.

"The person who has the most popularity"

In contrast to the grandstanding that Rufián finds within the ranks of Esquerra, his proposal for the unity of the left is indeed well received in other spaces. One of the voices that has given him the most support is the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau,, from Comuns. In an interview on 3CatInfo this Tuesday, she even said that she would support Rufián heading the unitary candidacy for the next general elections.

"If Gabriel Rufián can now be the person who has the most popularity and is most capable of communicating, I would perfectly support him being able to lead this plural left-wing front where everyone would have a role," he explained. "We have to put the common good ahead of the acronyms," he added next. According to Colau, Irene Montero – who recently starred in an event with Rufián in Barcelona, and who is willing to form a tandem with him – should also have a place in this project, among other names.

However, is Rufián the most popular, as Colau implies? If we look at the survey published this weekend in ARA, the ERC spokesperson in Madrid is the politician who gets the best score and, in fact, the only one who passes (5), just ahead of the leader of Aliança Catalana, Sílvia Orriols, who gets a 4.2. Regarding his projection in the State, CIS barometers have long granted him the popularity that he also enjoys on social networks.