The new CUP keeps its name but changes its image

Barcelona"Everything is open to debate," the CUP stated just before beginning its refounding process. Everything except the principles that govern the CUP, which are based on the concepts of independence, socialism, feminism, and the Catalan Countries, they clarified. The recent setbacks at the polls, in which they were eliminated from three of the four capital cities in the municipal elections, lost representation in Congress, and were left with four deputies in Parliament, forced the anti-capitalist party to open a thorough debate to once again establish itself as an alternative in a context of demobilization that is working against it. And so it did.

The CUP has ruled out changing its name—although it was a topic that was once on the table—but has approved updating its image, according to ARA. The new image will be made public next Sunday, June 8, at an event in Capellades, which will serve to launch the new era for the leader of the pro-independence left. Although some assemblies tabled the possibility of opening the name with the argument that the renewal could also entail an update of the acronym, the membership rejected it during the congress in Sabadell. "There wasn't much debate about the name because we believe in popular unity to build a country to live in, with a future and freedom," emphasizes Bernat Lavaquiol, a member of the secretariat.

Where there has been no reluctance is with the change of image. "The logo had become outdated and needed an update with a new aesthetic line," notes Lavaquiol. This is not, by any means, a major change, but rather a restyling. Only the color and the lettering will change. "We will continue to be the only party represented in the institutions with the Estelada," the representative of the secretariat clarifies, emphasizing that the pro-independence flag so emblematic of its corporate image will not be removed either.

Beyond the logo, the internal reflection process has also served to reach a consensus on the political proposal. Beyond the arithmetic that made them essential in previous legislatures, the Cuperos advocate moving from the resistance opposition to the proposition in order to seek influence. In other words, they want to influence again to escape ostracism. "We cannot be boxed into the No. Everyone knows that we are against macro projects, but we must come out of the corner and be the ones who Yeah to highlight that we have a horizon," notes Lavaquiol, who warns that this is not happening, in any case, to soften the message. "We must explain what our productive model is, which is not that of tourists and pigs of the PSC and Junts," he adds.

Diversify the economy for environmental people like the last drought. "We are not opposed to industry, nor do we want to be a country only of farmers," stresses the secretary of political action, who regrets that Catalonia has gone from producing to being a logistics center for distribution for China. "During the pandemic, we weren't able to make masks; we want more industry to produce what we need to live. It makes sense to manufacture trains, not luxury cars," emphasizes the Cupero.

Housing and language, battlefields

In this search for influence, although they are not necessary for parliamentary majorities, the Cuperos give as an example the decree to regulate seasonal rentals that they negotiated directly with the PSC, lifting the veto to the formation of Salvador Illa, and approving it with ERC and ComunsAchieving political victories and approving measures that improve people's lives or bring them closer to their goals is one of the pillars of the new CUP. The dichotomy between fighting in the streets and fighting in the institutions is now a thing of the past.

The strategy consists of occupying the largest possible number of positions of power and, if that's not possible, trying to influence them with their own proposals or with the demands of certain organizations, as has happened with the Renters' Union in the case of housing. This area, along with language, are the CUP's battlegrounds in this term. For this reason, new thematic sectors have been created, which are responsible for working on both issues.

The Catalan party has presented an action plan for the language with specific proposals, such as administering a test at the end of compulsory secondary education to certify proficiency, providing scholarships for Catalan philology studies, and strengthening educational inspections to ensure compliance with language immersion. At the same time, the CUP has promoted Local Plans for the Language to combat the language emergency in the municipalities where it operates. These proposals have served, as the CUP intends, to achieve impact and media coverage, as the party emphasizes.

The proposals are narrowed down and delivered with a more direct message that moves away from complex explanations, aiming to reach the maximum number of people. "We're simplifying the message, with fewer but clearer proposals, so that a clear line of work can be seen, because often those around us didn't know what we were planning," Lavaquiol admits. "It's a new CUP that speaks clearly," he concludes. Improving communication with videos on X, Instagram, or YouTube of CUP leaders or deputies looking at the camera is another of the new ways anticapitalists are working to enhance the audiovisual aspect.

They are also working to establish themselves on the most popular social media platforms among young people, such as TikTok, which has been exploited with great success by far-right parties like Vox and Aliança Catalana. "We are a political force deeply rooted in the neighborhoods and towns, but we have to look for avenues like TikTok to reach young people permanently," the secretary explains.

The refoundation of the CUP has also entailed an internal reorganization to distribute roles. The most significant change has been the election of a general secretary, a position that until now did not exist and that raised concerns in a party with an assembly-based nature. Non Casadevall is the voice of the organization, along with Su Moreno, and both relieve the workload of deputies who should focus on their work in Parliament, especially now that they only have four representatives. Internally, Berta Ramis, elected The CUP's national coordinator is ultimately responsible for internal organization and monitoring the momentum of membership. All of them are seeking to revive a struggling party.