Ruffian President of Spain?

MadridSince last February, the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) has included Gabriel Rufián among its response options to the question: "Of the main political leaders, who would you prefer to be the president of the Spanish government?" Six months ago, 0.4% of respondents chose the leader of the ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia), and in the latest survey, in October, support rose to 2.7%. It remains to be seen how this will change after his time on the program. The revolt TVE's program last Monday. For the moment, this is an anecdotal figure, but surely the most relevant aspect of the underlying debate is not that percentage, but rather the fact that a Catalan independence leader is among the response options.

On the other hand, the leader of Junts in Madrid, Míriam Nogueras, does not appear among the candidates. Viewers of Spanish politics have been able to witness how, on repeated occasions, Nogueras makes it clear that she is not in Congress to change or improve Spain, but that her only interest is Catalonia. Meanwhile, Rufián's speeches could occasionally be indistinguishable from those of other spokespersons for the Spanish left. "Talking about certain issues, if they are also good for non-Catalans, does that make you less of an independence supporter?" ask those close to the Republican spokesperson, making it clear—in the face of speculation—that he will not be Podemos's next candidate in the Spanish elections. Will he be the next ERC candidate in Spain? After two terms, doubts remain.

The proposal for a broad left-wing pro-sovereignty front that Rufián floated weeks ago was rejected by the ERC leadership, led by Oriol Junqueras, its main supporter. Sources within the party maintain that this is confirmation that the spokesperson in Madrid is acting independently and could end up being a thorn in Junqueras' side. Some believe that his personal brand makes him an irreplaceable profile, because he connects with the Spanish-speaking population, not necessarily pro-independence, which broadens the voter pool. Others hope for a change, despite the risk that a setback could reveal Rufián as an asset.

The parliamentary group was greatly upset by the fact that the spokesperson voted differently from the rest of the ERC deputies in the vote on the Sustainable Mobility Law: Rufián voted against five of Junts' amendments, some in favor of the complete transfer of the Cercanías service or greater self-governance in the management of transport subsidies. Within ERC, some advocate less criticism of Junts and more of the PSOE.

The forum organized by Prisa on Monday and Tuesday in Barcelona brought together leading politicians, as well as former top brass. One of them was Jordi Cañas, who was seen strolling among the attendees and chatting with journalists. Another was Marta Pascal. Josep Borrell was also surprised when a group of young people asked him to take a photo with them.

In the corridors of the Senate last Tuesday, the presence of several Catalan PP deputies in Congress was surprising: Nacho Martín Blanco, Santi Rodríguez, and Agustín Parra traveled to the upper chamber to attend the inauguration of Juan Milián, appointed a few weeks ago by the Catalan Parliament. "I swear," he said, "to abide by the Constitution."