Comuns voice concerns over Junts' direction
The Catalan political party Els Comuns has expressed concern that a potential return of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont could push Junts further towards the policies of Aliança Catalana, particularly on migration and housing. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the party's spokesperson Gerardo Pisarello said they hope Junts does not abandon its humanistic approach, especially given Puigdemont's past support for progressive housing policies during his presidency. Pisarello stressed that Junts currently does not back such measures either in the Catalan government or in Spain's Congress, despite Puigdemont's earlier record.
Barcelona municipal alliance hopes
Pisarello also welcomed the announcement that Laure Vega will stand as the CUP candidate in the upcoming Barcelona municipal elections. He expressed a desire to work closely with her to prevent a right-wing administration in the city and to ensure any left-wing government is "authentically brave". This comes amid growing scrutiny of Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni's recent trip to New York, where he met his counterpart. Pisarello criticised the visit as image-driven, saying: "It's good to want to stop the far right, but doing so only through photos is a bad path and deceives people."
"We celebrate that the mayor had to go through New York to pick up our proposal to lower the cost of the basic basket, but the municipal machinery must be activated now,"
Pisarello added, urging action before the elections.
National and regional political critiques
On national politics, Pisarello criticised the recent visits of leaders from Spain's PSOE, PP and Vox to Catalonia. He accused Vox of importing a "racist model" from Ceuta and inciting tensions, while claiming the PP followed suit without critical reflection. Of the PSOE, he said: "The socialist party is good at taking photos, but has not been able to lead any housing policy." Regarding the expansion of El Prat Airport, Pisarello warned the socialist government that ignoring public opposition would be a "major mistake", noting that resistance is gaining traction in society and more protests are expected. He called on Catalan president Salvador Illa to deliver concrete actions on airport expansion, housing, and education.
State-level left unity push
Pisarello also backed the idea of Ada Colau or Ernest Urtasun as potential candidates for the presidency of the Spanish government, calling it a "great contribution" from their political space. He said that after resolving internal divisions, such as those around Gabriel Rufián, it is now Els Comuns' responsibility to help build consensus among left and regional forces across Spain.
Reported by Racó Català.
