Is Rufián proposing that ERC should dissolve into Comuns in Barcelona?

BarcelonaThe republican front that Gabriel Rufián envisions as a way to stop the far right faces enormous resistance from the very parties that should be part of it. The primary opponent is, in fact, Esquerra Republicana. Since Wednesday's presentation in Madrid There is also a question that keeps echoing: if the fourteen left-wing parties Rufián mentions shouldn't compete against each other, who should run in each province? He didn't give a clear answer, but he did suggest that the brand should be decided based on electoral expectations in each specific territory. Probably, in the mind of the ERC spokesperson in Congress, his party would be the leading force of this left-wing front in Catalonia. But, of course, how would you determine who has the best prospects? Based on polls? Recent results? Each party's history?

In Catalonia there are at least three left-wing parties that fit within Rufián's schemesERC, obviously, along with the CUP and Comuns. In Lleida and Girona, there's no doubt that the ERC brand is stronger than any of these other parties, but it's not so clear in Tarragona and, especially, in Barcelona. In the province of Barcelona, ​​Comuns not only surpassed ERC in the last general election in 2023, but since their inception, they have outperformed the Republicans in three of the five elections since 2015—in all of them with Rufián as their lead candidate. If we consider the historical context, assuming that Comuns are the heirs of Iniciativa per Catalunya and the PSUC, in the Barcelona constituency they have outperformed ERC in eleven of the sixteen elections held.

Is Rufián, then, proposing that the Esquerra acronym be diluted within that of Comuns? Within the party, some criticize the left-wing front because it could have the opposite effect to what it seeks (causing some voters to stay home because they don't want to vote for other parties) and also because it could dilute the ERC brand. One of those who expressed this on social media was the former mayor of Tarragona, Pau Ricomà, who metaphorically put his hands to his head while displaying the latest election results in the Barcelona district.

In any case, Rufián has already achieved his first objective: his proposal has not only captured media attention, but has also prompted political organizations to take a stand. "Let's see if, when they get tired of criticizing us, someone proposes something else," the Republican leader remarked in a message to X. Now, he maintains that the next step must be citizen mobilization.