Miriam Nogueras, Puigdemont's boxer in Madrid
BarcelonaMiriam Nogueras filling her gym bag with boxing gloves, putting on a sweatshirt with the Catalonia is not Spain On her back, heading to help with the Gran Recapte (a fundraising campaign). Or Miriam Nogueras walking with a fan to the rhythm of a rap song with the message "air that means wind" directed at Pedro Sánchez. Or the Junts leader defeating the Spanish president in an urban fighting video game. Or taking deep breaths as if doing yoga before an interview and telling the camera that she's looking forward to listening to Rosalía. These are just some of the videos that Nogueras has posted on her Instagram account in recent weeks, exemplifying the party's intention to promote her and reach new audiences via social media, especially middle-aged and young people, also within the context of competition with the far-right pro-independence movement.
The role of the "captain" of Junts in Madrid—as she is often called by party leaders—has gained relevance within the party since Carles Puigdemont's organization has become key to Sánchez's majority. And indeed, without Junts playing a role in governing Catalonia, Nogueras has emerged as one of the party's most promising leaders. She has forged a leadership style that leaves no one indifferent: although she entered the post-convergent space under the wing of the general secretary, Jordi Turull—she was a rank-and-file member—she now has her own distinct profile and a direct line to former president Carles Puigdemont. To such an extent that some voices within Junts are considering her for a future role in Catalonia should the former president be unable to return due to the upcoming elections. It's a can of worms no one wants to open, given that there are leaders within the party leadership with ambitions: some sources point to Turull, who has been leading a campaign across the region for months with the slogan "Together we count," which has generated more than a little suspicion among local party members. He is barred from holding public office and awaiting amnesty, but the Spanish government is considering a pardon request – also for Oriol Junqueras and the other former political prisoners.
Cold and distant
Unlike other pro-independence leaders such as Gabriel Rufián (ERC) in Congress, who has won over the Spanish left—too much so, even for some of his fellow Esquerra members—Miriam Nogueras has done the opposite. "We didn't come to Madrid to make friends" is something she often boasts about, and she maintains a distant and cold attitude toward journalists in Congress, who are accustomed to close dealings with politicians of all stripes. She has tried to turn this antipathy into a political asset with the pro-independence electorate. However, Nogueras has grown accustomed to off Crowds gathered in the corridors, and at times she even seemed comfortable being the center of attention, insisting that the break with the PSOE was genuine, despite the media's skepticism.
Tacit in her responses and forceful in her manner, she stands out in interviews with national media outlets for her outspoken criticism of the Spanish government. She has earned the antipathy of the right – just look at the latest FAES statement comparing her to a French serial killer – and also of the left for her opposition to measures such as reducing the working day. This week, the party's head of communications, Pere Martí, disseminated a video in X With boos directed at the Catalan parliament members as they entered Congress: "Just another day for the team in Madrid." Only the ballot box will determine whether this boxer-like style, so far removed from the traditional conciliatory DNA of the Convergència party, is the right approach to win over the electorate in Catalonia.
