Junts' 5 reasons for not firing Sílvia Orriols: "There is no cordon sanitaire in Ripoll"

GironaWhen the agreement to remove Silvia Orriols from the Ripoll mayor's office seemed closer than ever to being closed, Juntos x Ripoll has backed down and the possibility of a motion of censure has collapsed. What are the reasons?

(1) "Frankenstein" Government

Firstly, they consider that the four opposition parties do not form a sufficiently "strong" and "guaranteed" alternative to face a concentration government, although arithmetically they would add up to 10 councillors (the absolute majority is 9 and Aliança Catalana has 6). The councillor Ferran Raigon has defined the alternative of a four-party government as a "Frankenstein" (in reference to the monster, not to the doctor who gives its name to Mary Shelley's book). In addition, the three Junts councillors are not politicians with extensive experience in politics.

(2) Victimhood

Carles Puigdemont's party says that the best way to defeat Sílvia Orriols is not in the "offices" but at the polls, in the next municipal elections in 2027. Juntos calculates that kicking her out of the mayor's office now would further fuel the electoral chances of the Islamophobic party in the next actor seeking to become a martyr with the whole world against her.

(3) Polls

Juntos has also backed away from the motion because it feels that the majority of Ripoll residents would not approve a pact between all the opposition forces. It sees it on the street, but above all in the polls: party sources explain that they trackings They now leave Orriols close to an absolute majority and a recent survey did not detect a majority in favour of the motion of censure.

(4) Beyond Ripoll

Two years before the municipal elections, Junts is not only concerned about the growth of Aliança in Ripoll, but also in many other municipalities in inland Catalonia. That is why the national leadership of the party, with Turull and Puigdemont at the helm, has said its piece: kicking out Orriols could harm them throughout Catalonia, explain sources from the party, who already saw an Orriols with more free time walking around the entire territory without government responsibilities and taking advantage of her platform in the Parliament.

(5) Without a cordon sanitaire

Furthermore, by remaining in the opposition, Junts x Ripoll is also open to reaching agreements with Aliança Catalana on all motions that "are good for the people". "There is no cordon sanitaire in Ripoll," certified the councillor Ferran Raigon, and recalled that, since the far-right mayor took office, all parties have voted in the same direction as Aliança Catalana at some point.