Gemma Tarafa: "People don't want fights or insults between the left."

BarcelonaGemma Tarafa (Barcelona, ​​1971) has been the coordinator of Comuns since November, along with Candela López. She arrives after serving alongside Ada Colau as a councilor at Barcelona City Council since 2019.

How did the match go?

— We are, and we want to be, a leading space in Catalonia. Therefore, we must strengthen ourselves as an organization. We are very aware of the population's political disaffection and we must do everything possible to reconnect with the people, who want solutions.

Have you been self-critical about the poor election results?

— These weren't the results, but it has happened, in general, in many other political spaces. We must also understand that we must be a party that goes beyond the metropolitan area and, why not say it, that we must remake ourselves and build bridges with other political spaces.

You've taken the reins of a party that has said goodbye to its longtime leader, Ada Colau. Is her leadership replaceable?

— Ada didn't say goodbye. She said goodbye to the coordination and the City Council. But now she's at the [Common Sense] Foundation, doing very good work. She will be the person who will preserve that legacy beyond Barcelona, ​​in many countries around the world. Leadership is important, but when the political space is strong, new ones emerge.

Could we see a new Colau candidacy in 2027?

— We're not there now. We're at a time when one of the most important goals we have at Comuns is to work day-to-day on everything that concerns people. It should be the legislature for housing and commuter rail.

How do you view Salvador Illa's government?

— Without the pressure we in the Commons are exerting, Salvador Illa wouldn't have taken many of the steps he has. Progress has been made on the housing issue, whereas a year ago we were told it was impossible. regulate seasonal rentals or retain social housingThis doesn't mean Isla doesn't have to pressure Sánchez, because what's unacceptable is that we have the reform of the urban rental law blocked in Congress because the Minister of Housing isn't doing the job.

Do you like this PSC more than the one from the last term?

— One flower doesn't make a summer. There are issues on which there are agreements, and there are those on which there probably won't be, such as the airport expansion.

What will happen the day the government puts a proposal on the table to expand the third runway?

— We've always been very clear and unequivocal. We don't see any expansion of the airport, for environmental and tourism reasons. Look at our Cercanías train system: trains that have suffered disinvestment for two decades. We need a clear timeline and a plan for when the chaos will end.

Do you plan, at some point during your term, to ask Salvador Illa to govern together?

— We're not there yet. We approved an investiture agreement and are monitoring progress on housing and other issues. A measure without a budget is difficult to implement, and we're focused on making the actions we set as a condition possible through credit extensions. However, negotiations for the second credit supplement are still in progress.

But do you like Isla's PSC more than Collboni's?

— It's not that I like him more or less, it's that Mr. Collboni isn't capable of reaching certain agreements. In Barcelona, ​​we consider ourselves an alternative for 2027.

What do you think when Podemos accuses you of being complacent with the PSOE and encourages you to run with them?

— The people don't want fights, noise, or cross-talk between the left. The people don't want it, and I don't want it. We will work for the broadest possible formula in the State.

But Podemos has already announced that its candidate will be Irene Montero.

— I greatly respect the internal dynamics of each group, and I won't be the one to question them. First, we must see how some alliances that have been broken are rebuilt, and from there, we'll look at the issue of leadership. There are two years to go. There are no elections in the pipeline, but there is the threat from the PP and Vox, from the right and the far right, and the disaffection.

Does Comuns like Irene Montero's figure?

— I think Irene Montero has done a very good job as minister, and we should be able to say that. Yolanda Díaz has also done a very good job as Minister of Labor. They have been two brave politicians who have gone against the grain.

How do you view the agreement between the PSOE and Junts to delegate immigration powers in Catalonia?

— Anything that strengthens self-government is a good thing for us. The fact that Junts made the agreement doesn't mean Junts is the one in charge of immigration. The condition we've set is that under no circumstances can it lead to a loss of rights. We'll be on the lookout and we'll monitor. We all know that Junts, when it comes to migration, is ideologically far removed from us.