Rufián: "I would like to be president of the Generalitat after Junqueras"

BarcelonaNo act without a headline. Gabriel Rufián criticized the Broad Front and Junts during the presentation of his book, and once again advocated for the unity of forces to the left of the PSOE. He also reaffirmed his origins —"I come from the shit," he insisted— and highlighted the need to take measures to put an end to the housing crisis. All of this was to be expected and, in fact, he already pointed it out during this Saturday's launch of the joint ERC and Podemos candidacy for November 29th. At the last moment, however, journalist Àngels Barceló asked him what professional "ambition" he has, and Rufián, after months of showing himself willing to lead the left in the State, answered with a plot twist. "I would like to be President of the Generalitat after Junqueras," replied Rufián in the middle of the Spanish election pre-campaign.

Mind you, the ERC candidate made his desires to reach the Palau de la Generalitat public shortly after swearing loyalty to the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, and assured that he wishes for him to end up being the president of Catalonia "as soon as possible." He also supported the republican mayoral candidate for Barcelona and added that he would like Elisenda Alemany to be the next mayor of Barcelona. "They deserve it," said Rufián during the presentation of the book 'How to beat the fascists (Read before voting)' (Ara Llibres) at the Ciutadella campus of the Pompeu Fabra University. That same Saturday, however, he lamented —albeit ironically— that he did not run Esquerra.

The republican also defended that ERC should increase "collaboration" with other "left-wing political spaces," both at the state and Catalan levels. "And what if they aren't pro-independence?" asked Rufián. Thus, he asked to stop "handing out membership cards of Catalan identity" and "purity," and lamented that in the past his party "participated in it." He even revisited his past and assured that he now feels "very proud" of the ideals he defends, although "for a long time" he wanted "to be loved and recognized by people who opine and write" in the Catalan media and social networks. In the same vein, he vindicated the figure of the former deputy in Congress Joan Tardà and criticized that "all this disgusting bubble has punished him."

Riots and the far-right

The ERC candidate has also expressed his opposition to the riots this Saturday night in Barcelona and denied that these are protesters. "If you steal, you are a thief, not an activist," he stated. Thus, the republican wanted to differentiate between "peaceful and legitimate demonstrations" and the "looting" that was seen in the Catalan capital.

Rufián also assured that the images of hooded youths robbing stores and damaging public spaces "benefits the extreme right." And, he even stated in declarations to the media that "it is very likely that the extreme right is behind it," especially in the midst of the pre-campaign for the Spanish elections on November 29th. "There is no political idea that should be defended through violence," added the republican.