Uproar on the right and desolation on the left of the socialists, where the noisy leaderships of four days ago are getting lost in a general blurring. With canonical cases in both Catalan and Spanish politics, albeit with different forms and styles. Two examples of how stars that seemed to break barriers are fading: Pablo Iglesias, convinced that his presence was enough, did not want to understand that politics has a part of heavy and unsightly work behind the scenes, he was lazy about organic entanglements and got stuck when it came to moving from rhetoric to action. Result: he is a little more out of play every day. In the Catalan case, Ada Colau, who entered the mayorship with momentum, gradually blurred as if she couldn't find her place in the world of institutional politics and got lost in the transition from verbal illusions to practical concreteness. The drift of Podem and Comuns and the consequent fragmentation of their space, on a direct path to insolvency, force us to question the so-called far-left. And it's not just a problem for Catalonia or Spain.

Setback for ERC's membership in Igualada to the proposal of a coalition with the CUP and Comuns for next year's municipal elections. The assembly that the party held on Thursday night rejected the proposal by a narrow margin: 34 votes against, 31 in favor, and 2 abstentions, as reported by Nació Digital and confirmed by ARA. This Monday, the municipal groups of ERC, the CUP, and Comuns made a pre-agreement public to run jointly with the aim of ousting the current mayor from Junts per Igualada, Marc Castells. However, after the decision of ERC's membership, this pact now remains in limbo.

The proposal by ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián to form a broad left-wing and pro-independence front in the Spanish elections does not have the backing of the ERC leadership, which has distanced itself from it from the outset, and can only boast of having on its side to his comrade in arms, Joan TardàHowever, at the municipal level, their approach is viewed favorably by the Republican leadership, especially if the parties run under their electoral umbrella. This is what will happen in Igualada. The municipal groups of ERC, CUP, and Comuns announced a preliminary agreement this Monday to run jointly in the 2027 municipal elections.

The Catalan government needs a budget to function properly. Currently, it is still operating under the extended 2023 budget, which severely limits the administration's room for maneuver and leaves it short of approximately €1.5 billion. This amount remains unused because new expenses or projects cannot be included due to the lack of a budget. This sum is equivalent to the annual allocation of departments such as the Department of Business and Labor or the Department of Universities and Research. The truth is, citizens deserve a government that operates with a budget that reflects the country's current needs, not figures that were based on the reality of three years ago. Furthermore, having a budget would allow the government to make the most of the resources generated by record tax revenues thanks to economic growth. This includes both taxes in which Catalonia participates, such as personal income tax (IRPF), and those collected directly and transferred to the government (inheritance and property transfer taxes) under the current financing system.

Gerardo Pisarello begins his roadmap as mayor of Barcelona En Comú for 2027. After winning the primaries against Bob Pop, The now-Member of Parliament has announced that he will open a round of talks with left-wing forces in the city, including the PSC (Socialist Party of Catalonia), to try to build a "broad front" for the 2027 elections. At a press conference this Monday, he admitted that it is unlikely this understanding will materialize into a single electoral candidacy, but nevertheless, he expressed his support for exploring all options. He also intends to open conversations with social movements in the city. Once he has listened to them, he will make a proposal for a possible agreement for the municipal elections to "win a Barcelona for the social majority," at a time when the electoral cycle points to a rise for the right.

The debate about unity to the left of the PSOE has resurfaced strongly in recent days. Gabriel Rufián's call on Wednesday not to split the progressive vote The prospect of running together again in the upcoming general elections resonated this Saturday at another event in Madrid. Comunes, Más Madrid, Izquierda Unida, and Movimiento Sumar staged a demonstration that they will once again contest the elections scheduled for 2027, amid heightened anticipation. because of the Republican's proposalWhile these groups' approach differs from that of the ERC spokesperson in Congress, and there are no realistic expectations of bringing the pro-independence parties on board, the new electoral coalition—still in its very early stages—has emphasized the need to be as many actors as possible within a single candidacy. "We won't close the door to anyone," they stated. This appeal does reflect a desire—currently a pipe dream after the traumatic split at the beginning of the legislature—to attract Podemos. They have also included other parties with which they have previously joined forces, such as Compromís and Més per Mallorca. the Aragonese UnionOf these, only the Valencia fans attended the presentation, in which Yolanda Díaz was notably absent.

The debate surrounding broad coalitions has shaken the left since Gabriel Rufián brought it to the forefront. The proposal has engaged the Comuns, who are working in discreet meetings to revive their coalition to the left of the PSOE with Izquierda Unida, Más País, and Sumar, after Yolanda Díaz's party lost momentum following successive electoral defeats and the conflict declared against it by Podemos. With this new coalition, sources within Comuns assert that the Catalan party will have a "more prominent role" in the new project, which aims for greater "horizontal" collaboration among the member parties now that there is no longer a nationally representative force, as Podemos was until 2019 or Sumar at its inception. The ultimate goal remains to find a "winning formula" to re-establish the coalition government and avoid a PP-Vox coalition.

Barcelona en Comú has chosen its successor to Ada Colau for the 2027 elections. Member of Parliament Gerardo Pisarello defeated comedian and writer Bob Pop in the party's first primary and will be the candidate for the next municipal elections. Pisarello received 68.6% of the vote, while Bob Pop, who shook up BComú by unexpectedly stepping forward, convinced 27% of registered members who voted. A total of 9,000 people were eligible to participate in the process, and 1,525 cast ballots. There were 4.4% blank votes. The former deputy mayor in Colau's administration has teamed up with councilor Carol Recio, who will be number two on his list.

The republican front that Gabriel Rufián envisions as a way to stop the far right faces enormous resistance from the very parties that should be part of it. The primary opponent is, in fact, Esquerra Republicana. Since Wednesday's presentation in Madrid There is also a question that keeps echoing: if the fourteen left-wing parties Rufián mentions shouldn't compete against each other, who should run in each province? He didn't give a clear answer, but he did suggest that the brand should be decided based on electoral expectations in each specific territory. Probably, in the mind of the ERC spokesperson in Congress, his party would be the leading force of this left-wing front in Catalonia. But, of course, how would you determine who has the best prospects? Based on polls? Recent results? Each party's history?

An agreement has been reached between the Catalan government and the Comuns party for the 2026 budget. After 10 days of express negotiations, President Salvador Illa and the leader of Comuns in the Catalan Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, signed the pact in the Gothic gallery of the Palau de la Generalitat this Thursday, once the main obstacle was overcome. the prohibition of speculative housing purchaseswhich the PSC has finally accepted. Both parties have agreed to a reform of the urban planning law with the aim that, if it secures sufficient majorities, the ban on speculation by large property owners will come into effect before the summer.

A new step forward towards a budget agreement between Comuns and the Catalan Government. Jéssica Albiach's party has agreed with the executive to expand housing rental assistanceThe agreement includes increasing the family income limit for accessing the benefit to €36,279, up from the current €25,200, and raising the monthly rent limit to €855 (€1,135 in the case of Barcelona). Meanwhile, the Barcelona en Comú party has secured a commitment from the government to create annual vouchers worth €25 each for menstrual products and condoms for young people.

When the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, opened the door to banning speculative housing purchases in Catalonia, he did so with some caution: "It needs to be studied carefully and we need to proceed with certainty," he argued. when the CUP first raised the issue in ParliamentFinally, it was the Comuns party that secured a commitment from the government to sit down at a working group meeting with four experts to study the issue.

The Catalan government is determined to have a budget in place this year. The 2025 budget wasn't even presented: with Salvador Illa barely having taken his place in the executive council, the government had to get through its first year in office with supplementary credits due to the refusal of its investiture partners, especially ERC, to open budget negotiations. This year, the government has already begun talks with the Comuns, who consider the agreements they signed last year fulfilled and have already set their conditions for this year's budget. However, the other investiture partner, Esquerra Republicana (ERC), whose support is essential for the budget to be approved, has not yet entered the equation. The executive had planned to approve the draft bill next week in the executive council and have all the parliamentary procedures completed before the end of March, or at the latest, after Easter. In fact, according to sources consulted by ARA, the executive had warned the ministers to be prepared for this scenario.

While Gabriel Rufián embarks on a nearly solitary journey. To forge alliances with left-wing forces throughout the state, Sumar has taken a right-wing approach, anticipating the move of the Republican spokesperson, and has announced a new coalition with Comunes, Más Madrid, and Izquierda Unida for the upcoming general elections. The presentation of the new "common alliance" will take place on Saturday, February 21st, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. "A solid and trustworthy space over time that allows the transformative and plurinational left-wing movements of the State to come together," the four parties assert. In fact, the new agreement will be a kind of revalidation after the three years of experience of Sumar, the platform that Yolanda Díaz was solemnized in April 2023 and who ran in the June 23rd elections. Meanwhile, Rufián is sticking to his roadmap. The ERC spokesperson in Congress admits that, despite having "0% political support," he has a "much higher percentage of popular support" and defends his commitment to going beyond Catalonia's borders: "Representing someone from Algeciras doesn't make me any less Catalan or less pro-independence."

Comuns began budget negotiations with the Catalan government on Monday, aiming to reach an agreement as soon as possible. "The timetable for approving the budget is on the government's table," stressed David Cid, the party's spokesperson in Parliament and one of the negotiators, before the meeting. The meeting comes after the government fulfilled the condition set by Comuns for initiating talks. Start penalizing landlords for violating housing laws In Catalonia. Despite both sides' intention to get to work, the approval of the budget depends on the support of ERC, which, for now, is still waiting for an explicit commitment from the PSOE to allow Catalonia to collect 100% of the personal income tax (IRPF) as agreed.

Gerardo Pisarello (Tucumán, 1970) He is running in the Barcelona En Comú primaries to replace Ada Colau as mayoral candidate in 2027. He is currently a member of Congress and hopes to defeat his rival. Bob PopHe was the former mayor's right-hand man at City Hall between 2015 and 2019.

To convince ERC, the PSC government knows that must push Madrid to make it possible for the Catalan Tax Agency can collect all taxes, starting with income tax. As of this Thursday, the price of the Comuns' demands is also known: Jéssica Albiach's party is asking the government to increase the housing budget to €1.2 billion (in the previous budget they requested €1 billion) and to double rental assistance, as well as expand school meal scholarship coverage to include 50% of those on waiting lists for specialists in the public healthcare system. But to these priorities, common in most negotiations in recent years, a new one has been added: Comuns demands that the PSC government legally prohibit speculative housing purchases in Catalonia within six months. This was approved by the party's executive committee at a meeting this Thursday.

This was the condition that Comuns had set for budget negotiations, and on Tuesday it was met: the Catalan government has begun sanctioning landlords for violating housing law in Catalonia. This was announced at a press conference by the leader of Comuns in the Catalan Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, after a meeting with the executive branch at the Palau de la Generalitat to assess the degree of compliance with the agreements they signed. in springAccording to Albiach, the fines total up to €120,000 and have also been levied against real estate agencies. In a statement, the Catalan Government confirmed that 13 sanctioning proceedings are underway: 7 are being handled by the Catalan Consumer Agency and 6 by the Housing Agency. The Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, confirmed that they affect both individuals and legal entities. This first round of sanctions comes just over a year after the sanctioning regime of the housing law was approved. Besides the cases currently being fined, there are another 132 in the preliminary investigation phase: 77 handled by the Housing Agency and 55 by the Consumer Agency. In addition, 26 cases have been closed because they "did not fall under the provisions of the law." The 13 open cases are at various stages. Two serious fines totaling €27,000 have already been imposed: one for raising rent without justification, and the other for a property manager signing documents as a registered professional without actually being one. Another case is underway for a serious infraction: failing to include information on the reference index and energy efficiency label. The fine could reach €25,000, but the final amount is yet to be determined. Four other cases have been opened for failing to disclose the reference price in advertisements for homes located in high-demand areas. Of these four, one resulted in a €1,750 fine, which has already been paid, while the remaining three could carry fines of up to €10,000. All of these cases involve the Consumer Protection Agency. Regarding the Housing Department, there are two cases with fines of €30,000, two with fines of €3,000, and two others "pending determination," according to the Government. One of the tools that should help Territori to control compliance with the law is the register of large holderswhich is also agreed upon with Comuns, but has been delayed again due to new modifications introduced by the Government during the public consultation phase. It should have been approved in November and still has no date.

The commuter rail system is on its way to becoming the biggest obstacle for Salvador Illa's government to overcome. A year ago, a chaotic week in the system already led to a special plenary session in the Catalan Parliament, with the opposition demanding action. the resignation of the Minister of Territory and spokesperson for the executive, Sílvia PanequeThe investments touted by the Spanish government have so far yielded no visible results; on the contrary, the tragic accident in Gelida further highlighted the fragility of the infrastructure. The commuter rail system collapsed and was plunged into the most serious crisis the system has ever suffered. This situation made it inevitable that the opposition would once again demand Paneque's resignation, and this time, one of the coalition partners, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), would join them. The commuter rail system will likely be the Catalan government's biggest headache throughout its term, but could it bring down Salvador Illa's administration?

Bob Pop, the nickname of Roberto Enríquez, wants to be mayor of Barcelona. He's not content with simply being on a list behind a leading figure in the Comuns party, and he made this clear to Ada Colau and Gerardo Pisarello when they sat him down to discuss avoiding primaries that would divide the party. This is the first foray into politics for a media personality who began his career online, first as a blogger and then as a columnist for various publications, commenting on television programs and pop culture. Hence the pseudonym he kept when he made the leap to television with Andreu Buenafuente. It was on a set alongside Buenafuente that, in 2019, he publicly revealed his multiple sclerosis diagnosis. The disease has caused him a loss of mobility, requiring him to use a wheelchair. Bob Pop, who was born in Madrid in 1971, came to Barcelona more than 20 years ago for love—his husband, Mauro, already lived there. He now lives in an apartment in Ciutat Vella, which he searched for eight months due to the scarcity of available properties, but also because of the difficulty in finding housing adapted for people with reduced mobility. He is a regular at the Santa Caterina market and regrets not being able to practice Catalan in the Born district, which is overrun with tourists. He takes classes to improve his fluency in the language, and he has demonstrated his progress on a TV3 program. Bob in translation.