Jordi Collado, the current leader of En Comú Podem (ECP) in Tarragona, will repeat as the party's mayoral candidate in the 2027 municipal elections. This decision, confirmed after an uncontested internal primary process, signals a period of stability for the left-wing political group in the city, according to Diari de Tarragona.
Collado's re-candidacy makes him only the third progressive leader in Tarragona to stand for more than one consecutive term. He follows Dolors Comas, who ran from 1995 to 2003, and Arga Sentís, who was a candidate in 2011 and 2015.
Collado is scheduled to hold a press conference today to discuss his candidacy. His unopposed selection in the internal primaries means he will equal Arga Sentís' record of two consecutive municipal election campaigns.
Historical Context of Leadership
Dolors Comas, representing Iniciativa, holds the record for the most consecutive candidacies, having stood three times in 1995, 1999, and 2003. She consistently secured two councillors in each election. Arga Sentís, a former ICV leader, also secured one councillor in both 2011 and 2015.
Other mayoral candidates for the progressive left, including Josep Anton Baixeras, Victor Farré, Maties Vives, and Carla Aguilar, only ran once. Lluís Balart was a candidate twice, in 1991 and 2007, but these were not consecutive terms, and he failed to gain municipal representation on both occasions.
Stabilising the Coalition
The decision for Collado to lead again comes after a challenging period for the ECP coalition between 2019 and 2023. This era was marked by public disagreements between Carla Aguilar and Hermán Pinedo, which led to Pinedo's expulsion from the party. He had remained in the ERC, Junts, and CUP government after ECP withdrew.
Since 2023, the coalition has found its footing in Tarragona. Despite being in opposition, the group, comprising Jordi Collado and Toni Carmona, has played a key role in forming agreements with the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) government. These agreements have covered areas such as housing, public transport, and tax policy, making ECP an essential partner for Mayor Rubén Viñuales.
This approach, dubbed 'Fórmula Tarragona' or 'Tarragona Formula', focuses on coexisting without internal conflict. It mirrors a strategy recently used in Andalusia to build Antonio Maíllo's candidacy, uniting Podemos with other left-wing forces. This local stability contrasts with broader national trends, where Podem did not contest the Catalan Parliament elections in 2024, and Podemos has distanced itself from Sumar and the Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez.
