The internal battle within Junts in Tarragona: Sendra has no rival on the throne.

BarcelonaThree months after the brittle in the municipal group of Junts in TarragonaWith independent councilor Elvira Vidal leaving the council, the battle has shifted. There is a critical sector that remains, which the leadership sees as a minority, but which has no connection to the clash with the current non-affiliated councilor. This current remains annoyed with the negotiations held with the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) to enter the municipal government. However, there is also no alternative to Jordi Sendra's leadership in the city, according to several sources consulted, who confirm that he will once again be the mayoral candidate in 2027. Furthermore, after the council members opted not to join Rubén Viñuales's Socialist executive, the main source of friction has been overcome. With Vidal, the former number two on the list, there is even some movement.

When contacted by ARA, Vidal declined to comment on the matter and opted to keep a low profile after the dispute. The split in the second half of May left the council members with only two councilors. Junts sources in the city emphasize that they have been "very elegant" in not adding fuel to the fire against Vidal's multiple public accusations against the party and its Tarragona-based leader, which they claim are false. At this point, the municipal group "could consider declaring her a defector," according to ARA, in an option looming over the issue for the City Council to recognize a case recognized by the State. The party has repeatedly asked her for her councilor's status after the split, but she has refused.

Beyond the Vidal affair, the "terrabastall" was the attempted pact with Viñuales, whom many criticized for his past with Ciutadans and some internally even called "the one who pulled the trigger," due to his furious opposition to the yellow ribbon when he was a councilor for Arrivals. Paradoxically, the Junts municipal group led by Sendra has a "very good relationship" with Viñuales, with whom she has collaborated on numerous city proposals. This is what allowed for the exploration of a coalition government agreement that Vidal initially desired—like the rest of the municipal group.

Publicly, the now independent councilor has expressed her belief that she should join the executive, but she has always wanted to disassociate her departure from the fact that the council members ultimately rejected the agreement, while Sendra and the leadership in general backed down. The local leader in the city has attributed Vidal's decision to not joining the government and has pointed out that the disagreements had already arisen since the beginning of the mandate.

In fact, Vidal said in an interview on Tarragona Ràdio that she doesn't agree with the inner workings of the Junts and denounced having been "removed from decisions" because of Sendra's "presidential" approach. There was even an alleged boycott by Sendra of the possibility of her joining the Junts list in the Parliament, something that even critical sources deny. Vidal also revealed that she had several offers to sign with other parties ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, but that nothing has been decided. However, although the critical sector does not agree with her desire to reach an agreement with the PSC, there is one common element: criticism of Sendra, in the case of the dissidents for "a dissonance with the rank and file" that has caused "demotivation" in the party.

Anointed by Turull and Puigdemont

Sendra's supporters and detractors point out that he will be the candidate; no one wants to compete with him, and if so, there wouldn't even be a need for primaries. The secretary general of Junts, Jordi Turull, is the guarantor. Sources from the municipal group point out that "Turull and Puigdemont have always supported him," and critics say that "Sendra is the man from Barcelona and has a very good relationship with Turull, who covers for him."

Internal tensions arose "when everyone believed we would enter the government," according to sources from the municipal group, with accusations of "making a pact with Article 155," although there was a "majority" predisposition to the pact. In any case, they maintain that it is water under the bridge, considering it unsuitable two years before the next elections, because "the PSC's national project weighs heavily" and because even if the agreement were "good," "we needed to reflect on the minority position," which would have conditioned them. Critical sources report that they already expressed reasons for this in the assembly: that at first they felt "disrespected" by the desire to push it forward. And they add that Puigdemont's opinion, which had promoted the strategy of not entering into a pact with the PSC, was key. Sources from the municipal group, however, maintain that they agreed that he should not enter the government and that Puigdemont and Turull respected "municipal autonomy."

What is Sendra being criticized for? His support for numerous Viñuales initiatives and a desire to perpetuate himself as a politician despite not having a clear political horizon. The municipal group affirms that "there are critics everywhere," but that "they are few" in a party with diverse ideological tendencies, and that in recent assemblies the atmosphere has already changed for the better.