The reissue of the ERC-JxCat coalition could make one think that practically nothing has changed behind the scenes in the Generalitat, but the change in presidents, who belongs to ERC instead of Junts, has meant profound changes in some of the Catalan administration's centres of power. For example, in the Palau de la Generalitat in recent days there has been a change of guard. A flock of JxCat posts have packed their bags to make way for an ERC unit. They are the people of Pere Aragonès's uttermost trust, who will work side by side with the president and experience the first republican presidency since the restoration of democracy most closely. They are all the president's men and women.

May 20 is the new deadline set by the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) for an agreement with Together for Catalonia (JxCat): if in 14 days the government agreement has not arrived, the republicans say that "they will explore other possibilities", in words of Sergi Sabrià, member of the negotiating team. This is the Republicans' second ultimatum in two months of negotiation. The first, on May 1, expired without an agreement and without consequences, because ERC decided to continue trusting Carles Puigdemont's party. But despite the fact that just three days ago the party's spokeswoman, Marta Vilalta, assured that there had been a "turning point" - immediately denied by Junts - in statements to TV3 Sabrià regretted that the negotiations are advancing "slowly" on some issues. The Consell per la República continues being one of the main obstacles and ERC has opened the door to leaving it out of the negotiations for the investiture. "It is clear that the strategy to reach a republic is absolutely essential to continue working, but we should be able to be able to be already governing at the same time as we take it forward," he has defended.

Two weeks after the start of negotiations to form a Government, the deputy secretary general of ERC, Sergi Sabrià, admitted today that negotiations are going better with the CUP than with JxCat, whom he has reproached for still not knowing what it wants. The ERC leader said he is "happy" with how the talks are evolving with the CUP and regretted that the same thing is not happening with Carles Puigdemont's party. "I still find it hard to know what JxCat wants and that's why we have been meeting with them for so many hours," Sabrià said in an interview with RTVE. ERC and CUP have brought their positions closer on what changes the police model needs, one of the key issues set the mandate in motion. However, ERC and JxCat have not managed to reach an agreement on the long-term strategy towards independence.