Junqueras endorses Rufián as spokesperson but distances himself from a coalition with the Spanish left.

BarcelonaGabriel Rufián's proposal to explore a plurinational and left-wing common front to avoid a PP government, and Vox lacks the endorsement of the Esquerra leadership. However, Rufián maintains the trust of the party's leader, Oriol Junqueras, to remain as the Republicans' spokesperson in the Congress of Deputies. In a press conference on Monday, Junqueras considered it "compatible" with this disagreement, despite the internal rumors that arose when Rufián insisted on a thesis that had already been rejected by the leadership. However, he also wanted to make it clear that the party is not considering running in coalition with the Spanish left in the general elections: "If any Spanish political party is interested in reaching an agreement with someone, they will surely have the opportunity to do so. For example, Podemos with Sumar or Sumar with Podemos," he said, distancing himself from the ERC's struggle.

In any case, Junqueras has wanted to soften the clash that ERC ignited last week (specifically, some of the sectors critical of the management), and which has shown that Rufián is now an uncomfortable piece of clothing for the party leaderThe leader of the Republicans has highlighted that, at this time, they already maintain alliances with Bildu and the BNG: they have presented themselves on the same list in the European elections and, furthermore, in the case of the aberzales They share a group in the Senate. "What ERC will do is reach agreements, as it has always done, with everyone it can and who shares issues as important as independence," he emphasized. In case there was any doubt, Junqueras emphasized that, in the case of the European elections, the constituency is unique: therefore, it makes "arithmetical" sense to try to join forces with other plurinational forces to ensure representation.

However, it should be remembered that Rufián called for going a step beyond the understanding that ERC already maintains with these forces with an alliance that would also include parties to the left of the PSOE. "The independence movement, the left-wing sovereignty movement, has historically demanded a plurinational left that understands and helps it: I say that it's enough to wait and let us do it ourselves. Or they will do it to us again. And it will be a lie again," he wrote to X. He also commented today on this question that, when Rufián launched this idea, he contacted Junqueras to find out what he thought: "And he said: 'This is stupid to raise it like this, without you as a party agreeing.'" The former Spanish vice president has maintained that it is a "bad idea" to address such a "delicate" issue between two political forces that "appreciate each other" through the press. "When you talk, it should be done with discretion, respect and knowing what the possibilities of politics are," he added.

Although Rufián's position as spokesperson in Congress is not in jeopardy, Junqueras has avoided confirming him as a candidate, despite expressing his acknowledged "sympathy" for the deputy. "At the moment, there are no elections called. When they are, it is the ERC membership that must decide."

Pessimism about financing

Taking advantage of the end of the current political season, the ERC leader reviewed the relationship with the PSOE and the results of the negotiations between the two parties since Pedro Sánchez's investiture. On one side of the scale, he praised the progress made in the transfer of commuter rail services.This Tuesday the Council of Ministers will approve the creation of the Catalan company that will take over.— and in the FLA waiver in the autonomous regions, with 17.104 billion for Catalonia. On the other hand, Junqueras has complained about the course of the negotiations to materialize the singular financing. And, in this sense, he has warned Sánchez that, if he does not guarantee the singular financing for Catalonia, he will not have the support of ERC for the general state budget for 2026. It is the same warning that the Republicans have issued to the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, for the next Catalan budget.

In any case, in Esquerra they are pessimistic about the possibility of unblocking an agreement with the financing, after the Bilateral Commission will leave the ordinality in the air -which would ensure that Catalonia would not lose ground in the distribution of resources relative to its contribution- and the management of taxes paid in Catalonia by the Catalan Tax Agency. ERC has already announced that it would present a bill in Congress to lay its groundwork, and this Monday Junqueras stated that negotiations with María Jesús Montero's ministry are going "badly." "The Minister of Finance very often doesn't act as a minister, but as an electoral candidate [in the Andalusian Regional Government]," he said.

Going for the right

Faced with the "clearly insufficient" bilateral agreement, ERC is now considering taking the plunge and registering the bill on its own regarding tax collection from Catalonia. "We would like to reach an agreement with other political forces, but if this doesn't happen, we will present it alone in the coming weeks," warned Junqueras, who did not spare a barb at Junts: "Perhaps it would be easier to criticize everyone and do nothing, sit in a corner and grumble a lot, hold rallies with lots of shouting."

From the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), its spokesperson and number two in the party, Lluïsa Moret, has admitted that this law could be "a useful instrument for advancing" the new model for financing personal income tax, which the Catalan government had committed to ERC to present before the end of the month, in order to get down to business collecting this unattainable tax.