Will Rufián have people of his trust in Madrid?

BarcelonaGabriel Rufián confirmed last Friday that he had requested a trusted team to accompany him on the list for the November 29th general elections. "Rufián wants to have trusted people. And who doesn't? Doesn't Miriam Nogueras have trusted people?", he said in an interview with RAC1. When he submitted his request to the party, the leadership reminded him that the candidates who are part of the list emerge from territorial assemblies and are voted for by the membership. He asked to have more room for maneuver to place some of his closest collaborators in winnable spots, but ultimately the candidacy is essentially nourished by people close to Oriol Junqueras' leadership. In fact, the president himself will make an appearance, symbolically closing the candidacy (number 31, with MEP Diana Riba at 32) for the first time he is able to do so: this very Tuesday the amnesty was applied to him. Raül Romeva is also there, as a substitute, who for the first time can also be on an electoral list. Dolors Bassa, however, is not there, who also ceased to be disqualified this Tuesday.

One of the people that Rufián had asked to have close by in the candidacy for Barcelona is Sergi Tarrés. The until-now advisor in Congress ultimately did not present a candidacy to the Central Catalonia assembly, and only Isaac Peraire's was proclaimed. Tarrés was ultimately not included in the lists.

The executive has certain power to order these names, that is, to choose who occupies winnable spots, and also to designate some who do not go through the territorial assemblies. This has been the case, for example, of the number two of the candidacy, Mireia Ingla. The former mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès is one of the people who supported Junqueras in the congress two years ago. In fact, the republican leader chose her to occupy the position of the party's compliance officer and she was the one who made the report on the posters against the Maragalls. According to some sources consulted, Ingla has a good relationship with Rufián. The head of the list himself opined last Friday that the list is "the bomb".

In the candidacy, furthermore, there are two people who are part of the current party leadership: Laura Pelay, who will occupy the fourth place on the list, and Norma Pujol, who will be the ERC candidate for Tarragona. As number three for Barcelona, the party has placed the current Parliament deputy Jordi Albert, who has also been one of the people most loyal to Junqueras in recent months.

But beyond the names that have a direct connection with the ERC leader, on the list that Rufián will head there are also two names that are neither in the confidence of the leadership nor that of the number 1 in Madrid. These are Teresa Jordà, who will head the list for Girona after winning the primaries ahead of Etna Estrems, a Junquerista and until now close to Rufián —Estrems will occupy the number one spot for the Senate for the Girona regions—. David Minoves will also be part of the candidacy for Barcelona, where he won the primaries at the Barcelona federation against Jordi Coronas, close to Junqueras.

In Lleida, Inés Granollers will again head the Republicans' list in the general elections. Granollers, a Junquerista, was one of the few who still maintained a relationship with Rufián this term. From the parliamentary group that existed until now in Congress, Francesc-Marc Álvaro returns to the lists, but this time to lead the ERC candidacy for the Senate.

The candidates of Podemos

In addition to the candidates strictly from ERC, as a result of the agreement with Podem, the list will also include three names from the 'lilac' party for Barcelona: En Comú Podem councillor in Sabadell Alejandra Sandoval (at number 6), the current general coordinator of Podem in Catalonia, María Pozuelo (at number 10) and David Clarà, councillor of Barberà del Vallès (at number 23). In Tarragona, Toni Carmona, councillor at the Tarragona city council, will occupy the fourth place on the list.

In this link you can consult the complete candidacies of the republicans for Congress and the Senate.