Junts again sounds out Tatxo Benet to be the candidate for Barcelona

BarcelonaThe name of Tatxo Benet reappears in the polls to be Junts' candidate in Barcelona. The party has once again offered the position to the businessman, as reported by El País and confirmed by ARA. In fact, it is not the first time that the Junts leadership has put this proposal on the table, but they had already proposed it before and Benet had rejected it. Now, while there is an open race within the party between Josep Rius and Jordi Martí to be the Junts mayoral candidate, the leadership has once again offered Tatxo Benet this option. An offer that the businessman would not have rejected outright this time and would be considering. When consulted by ARA, Tatxo Benet's circle states that he has nothing to say.

Tatxo Benet left Mediapro at the end of last year and for a month he has been presiding over the businessmen's foundation FemCat. The businessman has visited Carles Puigdemont in Waterloo and, according to El País, it is the same president of Junts who would have offered him to be Junts' number one in Barcelona. Sources from Junts in Barcelona emphasize that the party has not yet made any decision regarding the candidacy in Barcelona.

For months, the dispute within the party has been open between the spokesperson and vice-president of Junts, Josep Rius, and the leader of the municipal group, Jordi Martí. Rius has an advantage, but Martí, promoted by former mayor Xavier Trias, maintains his intention to run for candidacy. The party's objective was to reach a consensus to avoid primaries, although they have not been ruled out and would only open up in case of an accomplished clash.

Over the past few months, the formation has also put forward the proposal to former leaders such as the former president of the Generalitat, Artur Mas, as well as the former minister and former councilor Joaquim Forn. Both rejected the offer. In an internal poll of the capital's electorate, the party also included the name of former minister Josep Maria Argimon and that of the councilor and former minister Victòria Alsina. All of them have ruled themselves out, while the proposal from some Junts voices to include former minister Jaume Giró is a dead end for the leadership.