Girona was the focus on Thursday, 11 June 2026, as Aliança Catalana opened its new office in the city and presented businessman Marc Villafañe as its mayoral candidate for the next municipal elections. The event took place at the party’s premises on Carrer Marquès Caldes de Montbui and was attended by Sílvia Orriols, president of Aliança Catalana and mayor of Ripoll.
The inauguration drew a large crowd, with some people standing outside the full venue. In his speech, Villafañe said he comes from the “real world” rather than “professional politics”, and said he wanted to bring “management, demanding standards, common sense, and love for this city” to Girona City Council.
He said that in his professional life he had learned that people must manage, make decisions, take responsibility, and solve problems. Villafañe added that in business, when corrections are needed, “you have to face it and move forward”, and said he wanted to bring that approach to the council. He also said Girona “deserves much more” and that his candidacy aims to start “a path” with “determination”, “respect”, and “without fear”. He ended by saying, “Girona doesn't need more excuses”, followed by “Long live Girona and long live Catalonia”.
Villafañe owns several private health clinics in the Girona region, including Clínica Lloret, Diagnosi per Imatge Sant Feliu, Baix Empordà Mèdic, and Palamós Alfamèdic. He holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Girona, a postgraduate degree in business administration from EAE Business School Barcelona, and another in mechatronics engineering from the University of Vic. He is also known for winning the Míster Girona award in 2008.
The presentation underlines Aliança Catalana’s focus on Girona ahead of the municipal elections. The party is working to finalise candidacies in different Catalan municipalities and hopes to enter the Girona council for the first time.
Before the inauguration, at around 4pm, someone threw eggs at the party office, according to sources from Aliança Catalana. The party said the incident has been reported to the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police force. For more local political coverage, see our news page.
