Rufián takes a further step: he shows himself "willing" to run in the Spanish general elections leading a left-wing front

MadridGabriel Rufián takes another step. The leader of ERC in Madrid, who has become a phenomenon for the Spanish left, has shown himself "willing" this Wednesday to lead a new space for the Spanish elections of 2027. In a conference at the Club Siglo XXI in Madrid, reported by Europa Press, the Republican leader ignores the parties' refusal to join this option and insists on his path: the unity of the left in the upcoming elections. Until now, he had not been open to directly heading this eventual new space, which the leadership of Esquerra in Barcelona rejects outright.

"If my presence can help, I am willing. Of course," declared Rufián, although he made it clear that the progressive parties as a whole must agree on the visible face of the project. And what about ERC? He reiterated that his party is not indifferent to what happens beyond Catalonia —in his opinion, the most relevant project the left has ahead of it now is to prevent PP and Vox from coming to power—, even though the leadership does not want to hear about a state-level alliance. Could this lead to the definitive clash between Rufián and Oriol Junqueras? The leader in Madrid asserted that he will not leave Esquerra; that, if they want him out, they will have to kick him out.

The ERC list

Rufián has stated that he has set "conditions" for his party to repeat as head of the list. Requirements that he has already conveyed, he said, to the republican leadership, but which he has not wanted to reveal. Regarding how he is with Oriol Junqueras, with whom they disagree on the direction to follow, he has acknowledged that they do not agree on "everything" and that sometimes they "want to kill each other." However, he has refused to speak ill of the republican leader because it would be "scoundrelly." It is no secret in Madrid that Rufián has a very tense relationship with other deputies from Esquerra. In fact, some interpret his moves as a way to strengthen himself and have more negotiation power with Barcelona to be able to place people he trusts on the list.