"It would be unacceptable if, in future elections, progressive democratic forces were unable to organize themselves in whatever way possible to build broad democratic popular fronts capable of stopping the right and the far right." These are the words Ada Colau spoke in OctoberJust after returning to Catalonia from participating in the flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which was ultimately detained by the Israeli government, these statements already hinted at a veiled endorsement of Gabriel Rufián's proposal for a plurinational left-wing front. Now that the ERC spokesperson in Congress has taken a further step in defending this project, with a joint event with a spokesperson from Más Madrid, Colau explicitly endorsed Rufián's call for left-wing unity.

Bob Pop is the stage name of Roberto Enríquez (Madrid, 1971). A writer and screenwriter, he wants to be the mayoral candidate for Barcelona en Comú in 2027. He is competing with Gerardo Pisarello in the party's first primaries to choose the candidate who will fill the void left by Ada Colau.

In his office at the Congress, Gerard Pisarello keeps three objects: a photograph of Frederica Montseny, an anarchist minister of the Second Republic; a portrait of Pi i Margall, Catalan president of the First Republic; and a Barcelona flag. These three symbols represent the values ​​with which the now-Congressman and former right-hand man of Ada Colau in the City Council identifies: grassroots left-wing movements, republicanism, and municipalism. The former deputy mayor of Barcelona is now taking the step to become a candidate for Barcelona en Comú in 2027 after several voices from space asked him to, when no one could yet foresee that they would end up testing each other's strength in a primary election with the writer and comedian Bob Pop. At the official launch of the candidacyOrganized hastily when the party realized it would have to fight for the mayoral nomination, Pisarello appeared flanked by Colau and Ernest Urtasun. A message that made it clear he is the official candidate of the party leadership.

With chants of "Pisarello, Pisarello": that's how the Barcelona en Comú supporters greeted the current member of Congress on the day he presented his candidacy for mayor of Barcelona in 2027. Gerardo Pisarello Prados (Tucumán, Argentina, 1970) officially announced his intention this Saturday to run for mayor of Barcelona, joining the Sumar coalition, which includes Ernest Urtasun and former mayor Ada Colau, who arrived late to the event. "[Jaume] Collboni has not lived up to the needs of the people. He has been complacent with the powerful and lacked courage," he declared at the start of the presentation at the Ca l'Isidret community center in the Sant Martí neighborhood, despite the fact that the PSC (Socialist Party of Catalonia) won the mayoralty thanks to the Comuns and the PP (People's Party), to the detriment of Xavier Collboni. Pisarello has sought to emulate New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, of Muslim origin, who has stood up to Donald Trump, to define his project for 2027. "I want to be the first mayor of Barcelona of migrant origin, proudly Catalan, proudly Catalan, like Roig, Maria Mercè Marçal, and the young Lamin Yamal," he declared, amidst applause from the audience. "It won't be handed to us, but it's possible if we organize ourselves, persevere in the struggle, and build community," he stated. His idea is to achieve this by forging "broad fronts" of the left—though he didn't clarify whether he meant other parties or civil society—to stop the right and the far right. "We don't just want broad defensive fronts against fascism, but also a program of real transformations for the people. Without a courageous program, there is disillusionment with democracy, which is what fuels the far right," he said.

Barcelona En Comú is holding its first leadership primaries in its eleven-year history. Never before have two lists competed to lead the party, which faces the post-Ada Colau era with its sights set on the 2027 municipal elections and the big question mark of who its mayoral candidate will be. Until December 15, two candidates are vying to lead a party that aims to To forge alliances with the left in the city with the dream of regaining the mayoralty (a dream that, for now, faces opposition from the polls). Neither Colau nor Janet Sanz, the most visible figures in recent years, are running, nor is Gemma Tarafa, the number two in the BComú city council, who is now focused on her role as coordinator of Comuns.

From the Consell de Cent superblock, a symbol of her career at Barcelona City Council, Janet Sanz, the leader of BComú on the council, announced this Monday that she is leaving politics. After 14 years as a councilor, she explained that she will step down before the end of the year, once the Commons group has been able to restructure itself. "I am leaving full, satisfied, proud, and happy," emphasized Sanz, who revealed that she has been considering this step for more than two years.

Barcelona en Comú's casting call for a successor to Ada Colau is underway, and one name is a clear contender: Gerardo Pisarello, the Comunes deputy in Congress. According to several sources consulted by ARA, the former first secretary of the Congress's board is one of the best-positioned candidates to challenge Jaume Collboni for the Barcelona mayoralty, where he was a councilor between 2015 and 2019. All this, while some sectors of the party's grassroots are already calling for a name to be chosen after the party's congress. ten years after his birth. In response to this newspaper's questions, official sources from Barcelona en Comú rule out jumping the gun on who should lead the candidacy and assure that the process to select the ticket to lead it will not open until the end of the year. The primaries are scheduled for January.

Barcelona en Comú has set a goal: to reclaim the mayoralty in the 2027 municipal elections from Jaume Collboni, whom they accuse of being an ally of lobbyists and whom they have been trying to undermine for months to position themselves as the alternative "for the city's working classes." The loss of the mayoralty and Ada Colau's withdrawal from the political frontline was a blow to the municipalist party, which held a congress this weekend to update its ideology and overcome the disenchantment that, they admit, is still felt among its electorate. The recipe they propose is more left-leaning alliances (and away from the PSC) and to become stronger as a political organization in the neighborhoods, now that BComú has celebrated its 10th anniversary. But, regarding the 2027 candidacy, the party has opted to take a back seat: although the report reiterates the need to limit the terms of its public officials, it also leaves the door open to Colau should she decide to run for mayor again on the PSC ticket.

Barcelona en Común's ultimatum to Jaume Collboni. The group's president, Janet Sanz, has issued a "final" warning to the mayor of Barcelona: either the municipal government stops the macro eviction of Vallcarca immediately or they won't agree on anything. "We won't even talk about the credit modification, nor about the tax ordinances or the budgets, nor about urban planning," he assured.

A woman from Barcelona raises her hand at the first official event of the Common Sense Foundation. with Ada Colau as president (and protagonist). It's at the Comuns headquarters on Calle Marina, and has brought together around sixty people who have come to hear the former mayor and former minister Joan Subirats reflect on how to face a new political cycle marked by the rise of the far right around the world. A woman takes the floor to thank Colau for what she did during her years at the helm of the council. The series of talks launched by the foundation under Colau's leadership, which kicked off this Friday with this first event, is intended to be a highlight. Common Sense Friday, It is the attempt of the think tank of Commons to put the left "on the couch" after the loss of votes of the space in the last electoral cycle, a term that has been used by the journalist of Critical Sergi Picazo, moderator of the talk. The loss of the Barcelona mayoralty, the crown jewel of Comuns, left the space devastated.and even divided about whether or not it was necessary to invest Jaume Collboni to prevent the return of Xavier Trias, as effectively ended up happening. And here, the former mayor has given in to political psychoanalysis: she admitted that the right is "more skilled" at taking people's pulse and that we must find the target of "emotions, care, and skin." "We must provide data and manage, but it is not enough. We must appeal to emotions, which is what mobilizes people the most," she said.