The love/hate relationship in Junts, performed by Junqueras and Rufián

BarcelonaLast Sunday, at the closing of the ERC congress in Martorell, Jordi Turull, secretary general of Junts, listened from the front row as the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras extended his hand to face the negotiation with the State without tripping him up.Three days later, Gabriel Rufián fired shots at Junts and the tension between the two parties became evident again in the Congress of Deputies, a stage that has become the main ring between both pro-independence groups. "Imagine the media and digital impunity these people have to rip us off for the transfer of commuter rail while they bring in their own people." little friends "to the Renfe administrative council," said the republican leader addressing the Junts bench. If there is a leader of the Left who is especially friendly to the boards, it is precisely Rufián. Are Junqueras's stature and Rufián's dards compatible?

From the ERC leadership there is no It seems contradictory, but it should be ruled out that the statements of Junqueras and Rufián form part of a strategy agreed upon by the Rufián councils, recognizing the names of the party, which is a clear version, which does not always adhere to the official version issued by Calàbria. d'altres It helps to consolidate the position of a party more accustomed to avoiding conflict between political rivals. Regarding this week's controversy, the president of Esquerra has not spoken, but he has also not contradicted Rufián when the mate defended his position in a tweet the day after the flight that his words were taken in Congress. "As long as I am spokesperson for ERC in Congress, we will be respected and we will respond to each of their attacks. Whatever the cost," he wrote in X.

Junqueras and Rufián know each other well. They have been and continue to be allies in the party, and in fact, the latter's rise would be incomprehensible without the former's trust. Junqueras has always been close to the current Republican spokesperson in Madrid, and even during the internal crisis, he considered him an ally.

For many months, the Republicans' strategy was to ignore criticism from Junts, which was a constant when Esquerra opened dialogue with the State. Rufián tried to stick to his guns, but broke party guidelines on several occasions. The time he caused the most uproar was when he referred to Carles Puigdemont as "idiot" for having declared the DUI, in statements he later had to rectify.

Now the backdrop that has enraged the Republican spokesperson has been the transfer of commuter rail services, a particularly relevant issue for ERC. In fact, before Rufián addressed Junts from the chamber on Wednesday, he had already ignited social media by accompanying a rat emoji to a message addressed to Junts deputy Josep Maria Cruset, who had previously attacked ERC for opposing the proposed law against squatting. The tension between the two groups in Congress doesn't date back to this week; seven days ago, Rufián himself called Junta deputy Isidre Gavín "miserable" for blaming ERC for the commuter rail incidents. Nor has Rufián been one of the most hated figures by the Junts members, who often respond to him through social media—and also from the chamber of the lower house. Figures like Agustí Colomines and Francisco de Dalmases have done so this week, without an official statement from the party.

Everyone has their role.

Both Junts and ERC acknowledge that their relationship remains damaged and has not improved since the meeting that Puigdemont and Junqueras held in Waterloo in JanuaryThere, they conspired to "promote coordinated work spaces" to discuss issues that "affect the national future and the social progress of Catalonia." But coordination is far from materializing. In fact, the regional council members maintain their criticism on issues such as the transfer of commuter rail services and the new financing system agreed between the ERC and the PSOE. The Republicans respond primarily through Rufián, who He has even gone so far as to call the junta members "reactionary right wing" and points out at every opportunity the business lobby he believes Carles Puigdemont's party has become. He often resorts to irony, and every time a pact between Junts and the PSOE falls apart, Rufián uses the phrase "in exchange for nothing," with which the jurists criticized ERC's support for the socialist government.

Junqueras' role is compatible with Rufián's, insist Republican sources. The party president tries to present the friendlier side and avoids criticizing Junts. He recently celebrated the delegation of immigration powers, without delving into the fine print of the transfer. In the party's engine room, everyone has their role.