Carles Campuzano, a former leader of Convergència and PDECat, and journalist Francesc-Marc Álvaro are creating a new political association called Esquerra Democràtica. This group will form a stable alliance with Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), according to Nació Digital.
The association is currently gauging support and holding discussions, with a formal presentation planned for June. Esquerra Democràtica, a name that echoes the 1975 formation by Ramon Trias Fargas, a key figure in early CDC, will sign a collaboration agreement with ERC. This will be an alliance, not a full integration into the party. The new association will primarily include independent individuals, though it is open to ERC members who feel comfortable joining. Both Campuzano and Álvaro remain independent and have not yet become ERC members.
Around 40 people are already prepared to join the association. Its founders told Nació Digital their priorities are to "expand the centre towards the left and vice versa" and to "make ERC the main street of Catalan politics." ERC's leadership, led by Oriol Junqueras, is aware of the initiative and views the future association positively. The founders describe themselves as social democrats who believe in "progressive pragmatism" and oppose populist rhetoric. They also want to maintain close ties with social, economic, and cultural organisations.
Attracting Former Convergence Figures
This is not the first effort by Campuzano to draw the former Convergence world towards ERC. During the last parliamentary elections, the former minister initiated a manifesto supporting former president Pere Aragonès's candidacy. At that time, around 30 prominent figures linked to the former Convergència, including Antoni Bayona, former chief legal counsel of the Parliament, and Carme Vidalhuguet, editor and former CiU deputy, called for votes for ERC. The full list of names joining Álvaro and Campuzano in Esquerra Democràtica is still being finalised.
Campuzano joined ERC in October 2022. During the renewal of Pere Aragonès's government after Junts' departure, the former president sought to incorporate former leaders from other parties. Mònica Ubasart, former general secretary of Podem, took the Justice portfolio; Quim Nadal, a historical figure from the PSC, took Research and Universities; and Campuzano joined the Social Rights department from the Convergence sphere. In the last elections, he was seventh on ERC's list for Barcelona and is currently a deputy, handling areas such as Health, Childhood, and Culture.
Campuzano has a long history within Convergència. During Jordi Pujol's time as Generalitat president, he worked in the Presidency Department while serving as a councillor in Vilanova i la Geltrú. He was also general secretary of the Nationalist Youth of Catalonia (JNC) and entered the Congress of Deputies in 1996, serving six terms until 2019. In his final period, he represented PDECat, but left politics and the party in 2020. Before joining the ERC government, he worked with third-sector entities and founded Acció Catalana, an association that organises debates on Catalanism and remains independent of political parties.
Álvaro's background is different, as he had never been directly involved in politics. A journalist with a long career, working for newspapers like Avui and La Vanguardia, and contributing to Nació Digital and various audiovisual media, he was a prominent figure in the nationalist space and an "influencer" during the 'procés'. Months ago, he told Nació Digital that he was drawn to ERC because it "was the party that best landed after the 'procés'." Oriol Junqueras recruited him to be third on the list for Madrid in the 2023 elections, where he now works on areas such as Culture, Defence, and Foreign Affairs.
Past Alliances and Future Prospects
This is not the first time Junqueras has tried to strengthen ERC and broaden its appeal with less left-leaning profiles. During the 'procés', ERC attracted several leaders from the Catalanist sector of the PSC, as well as some from Unió. Examples include Senator Laura Castel and former deputy Joan Capdevila, from the Col·lectiu El Matí, who was critical of Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida. More significantly, Demòcrates, a party formed from the Christian democratic party and led by Antoni Castellà, integrated into ERC's lists in 2017. However, they split in 2021, and Demòcrates eventually dissolved into Junts.
The launch of Esquerra Democràtica comes a year before municipal elections and amid competition between PSC, Junts, ERC, and even Aliança Catalana to attract a significant portion of the 200 councillors that PDECat-backed brands secured in 2023 under the name Ara Pacte Local. These councillors still hold positions in the governments of major Catalan cities such as Reus, Manresa, Vic, Balaguer, and Mollerussa. Campuzano, with his deep knowledge of the former Convergència's territorial structure, could offer them a suitable political home.
