The ERC leadership in Valencia revolts against Junqueras

BarcelonaERC revolts in the Valencian Community against Oriol Junqueras. The executive committee, until now led by Josep Barberà, opposes the national leadership's decision to appoint a management team to lead the party after removing its president following the alleged sexual harassment case against Maria Pérez Company, his former deputy. They allege that Junqueras has violated the party's statutes by preventing the general secretary, Reyes Juan, from leading the party until the interim situation is resolved. "We consider this decision to be an extremely serious act that violates the rights of ERC members, and with this precedent in the organization's territorial and regional leaderships, those of all members of Esquerra Republicana," they argue in a statement. They also warn that they will challenge this decision before the internal oversight bodies.

As the ARA advanced, this Monday afternoon, Oriol Junqueras' executive suspended Barberà from his membership after assessing the new report prepared by the head of compliance, Lluís Mombiela. A text, to which this newspaper has had access, which amends from top to bottom the internal investigation carried out by the former head of compliance. compliance, Xavier Mombiela—who ended up closing the case—and also proposes suspending Barberà's membership because he is awaiting an oral trial in this case. The text argues that once "the investigation was completed" and the judge ordered it to be followed by the "abbreviated procedure due to reasonable indications of a crime," the next step "led to an almost certain and imminent oral trial order."

Barberà denounces that the decision was made arbitrarily because ERC's statutes stipulate that the suspension of membership must be carried out when "a resolution order opening an oral trial has been issued." In fact, the current president of the party in the Valencian Community criticizes the leadership for having made the decision "based on a falsehood: that there is an open oral trial, when there is not." Barberà assures that he promised the national leadership to step aside from the party if the case goes to trial.

Barberà's criticism also points to the creation of the management committee, in line with the party leadership she previously led. In this regard, they point out that Article 142.7 of the internal regulations establishes that in the event of a temporary "resignation, leave, or resignation" of the party president, the party's general secretary must assume the reins of the party. The Republican leadership argues that the decision to appoint a management committee is based on the fact that Barberà's resignation is not "limited" in time and depends on a judicial process. However, they maintain that the party's intention is to convene a congress in this territory "in the short term." However, the Valencian Community believes that this decision "violates the rights" of the leadership, which was "democratically elected" in October 2024. "Esquerra Republicana del País Valenciano does not need oversight, much less in the form of a management committee made up exclusively of members of the national executive," they state in the statement.

In his message to X, Barberà draws a parallel between his dismissal and Junqueras's resignation a year ago. "When Junqueras resigned as president, he left the national leadership in the hands of his general secretary, Marta Rovira. And no one doubted that, if he wasn't there, it was the right thing to do. Now it seems that the rule only applies depending on who it applies to," he laments.