On June 17, 2023, the political reality of Ripoll changed completely. Silvia Orriols, under the banner of Aliança Catalana, became the first far-right pro-independence mayor in Catalonia, after Junts, ERC, the PSC, and the CUP failed to agree on forming an alternative government. The town of Ripoll, with about 11,000 inhabitants, deeply marked by the trauma of the 2017 Rambla attacks, became a key point in Catalan political geography and had a direct impact on the decisions of the national leaderships of the parties. The latest media case: that of the two socialist councilors who were sidelined amid reproaches for voting in favor of Orriols' budgets.
Since that electoral victory in the town of the imam and the terrorists, the far-right party has not stopped growing. And one of the reasons explaining this growth is that, after two years of Aliança's government, Silvia Orriols is no longer seen as an anomaly in Ripoll, and her Islamophobic discourse has been "normalized," which has emboldened populism throughout Catalonia. "In town, people now talk about it openly; there's no longer that fear of saying what you think. At work, with friends, in the park, at the market, or in bars, it's just another conversation. People make xenophobic comments without hesitation," admits Eduard, a young resident of Ripoll involved in the town's social fabric.
, became a key point of Catalan political geography and had a direct impact on the decisions of the national leaderships of the parties. The latest media case: that of the
Atmosphere photos of the center of Ripoll.Francesc Melcion
The discourse of insecurity
The trauma of the attacks deeply fractured the residents of Ripoll and the emergence of Aliança has done nothing but feed this germ. In general, the Islamic community participates little in the village's popular activities, just as the native villagers do not show much interest in Moroccan cuisine restaurants, mosque rituals, or Ramadan celebrations. However, there are exceptions, promoted above all by entities like the Antifascist Platform of Ripollès, which periodically organizes conferences, workshops, courses, tastings, and presentations to build bridges and exchanges with neighbors of Muslim origin. There are no ghettos either, as the town is small and the immigrant population does not exceed 16% of the inhabitants.
In terms of security, the municipality does not have worrying figures, as it is below the average of other regions, according to monitoring by the Mossos d'Esquadra. However, it represents a burning current issue, given that the mayor often poses for photos with the Local Police and news about evictions and arrests of people of foreign origin are regularly disseminated through the official channels of the Town Hall. "The issue of insecurity is a false alarm from political discourse, which has taken hold especially among the elderly and those who do not want people from outside, but, thirty years ago, when there were no Moroccan families in the village, the situation was much worse, especially at night, with some significant brawls between young people from surrounding villages," recalls Albert, a family man, a regular at live music venues.
The confrontation has decreased and the rivals do not hold their ground
Beyond the staunch defenders of Alliance, there is a sector of the municipality that maintains its stance against Orriols, with entities and collectives that have made their voices heard in controversies such as the closure of the popular center or the poster for the town festival. However, in recent months, social protest has subsided: "In the beginning, the mayor's spirit of confrontation was much harsher and there was an organized response. Now that has decreased, also due to repression, wear and tear, and fines from the municipal government," concludes one of the witnesses involved in the demonstrations who has received sanctions from the mayor.
The confrontation has dropped and the rivals are not holding their ground
![Atmosphere photos of the center of Ripoll.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 4335 2890"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![Al fons, l'emblemàtic monestir de Santa Maria de Ripoll.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
