With 13 months remaining until the municipal elections, ERC's Barcelona section, considered the party's most influential, is experiencing internal tension. Following the previous executive's breakdown last November, members are called to vote for the second time in less than a year to renew leadership. The party's general secretary and council leader, Elisenda Alamany, has already been designated as the mayoral candidate for Barcelona.
Two candidacies are vying for leadership: the critical faction, led by councilor Rosa Suriñach, who secured 160 endorsements, and the officialist one, headed by Ricard Farin, president of the Horta-Guinardó community center, with 347 endorsements. The virtual vote will take place this Friday, from 10 AM to 7 PM, with results expected immediately. On Saturday, the Jaume Fuster Library will host the congress to officially proclaim the winning candidacy.
“"It is not a return of the resignees; it is a new and distinct project for the federation to be the space for political leadership."
The Barcelona federation is fundamental for energizing the municipal electoral process, as its campaign committee has the final say on the electoral program and list formation. Furthermore, it leads consultations with the grassroots on potential post-electoral pacts. The critical faction, which did not challenge Alamany's primaries, now seeks to control the federation to ensure internal debate, while the officialist side warns that the body cannot be a "counterpower."
Suriñach's list, named Construïm Esquerra Barcelona, includes figures such as Senator Joan Queralt, former Director General of the Presidency Núria Cuenca, and Deputy Pilar Valluguera, as well as Oriol Carbonell, son of former ERC president Jordi Carbonell. Meanwhile, Farin's Activem Barcelona candidacy features Núria Clotet, municipal group coordinator, and former councilor Montse Benedí, notable for not including high-ranking officials or frontline politicians.
