Two members of the UGT trade union have been appointed as councillors for the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) in Ripoll, Girona, following an internal party crisis. The appointments aim to resolve the situation that allowed the far-right Aliança Catalana party to pass its municipal budget without a vote of no confidence.
The PSC in Ripoll faced internal dissent when two local councillors abstained from a budget vote, enabling Aliança Catalana's mayor, Sílvia Orriols, to approve her proposals. This decision was made without consulting the party's regional leadership, leading to the local PSC branch's dissolution.
Mayor Orriols described the situation as a 'masterstroke' in the Catalan Parliament, according to El Confidencial. The PSC has now appointed Paco Morillo and Jorge Iglesias, both UGT members, to fill the vacant council seats.
New Councillors' Backgrounds
Paco Morillo lives in Ripoll and was a trade union representative at Fibran Group for over 20 years before his retirement. He also coached futsal in Ripoll and Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
Jorge Iglesias, originally from Montevideo, Uruguay, is also a trade unionist. He worked at Artigas Alimentaria as a representative and served as the organisation secretary for the UGT Territorial Union in the Girona region for 18 years. Iglesias has consistently supported immigration projects.
Their appointments are seen as a direct challenge to Aliança Catalana's anti-immigration stance. The PSC stated in a press release that Morillo and Iglesias are 'well-known and loved in the Ripollès' area, and have 'always worked for diversity, inclusion, and progressive human values'.
According to the PSC in Girona, the new councillors have a 'specific mandate to highlight the PSC's commitment to Ripoll and the values of equality and democracy' that all left-wing parties in the municipality share.
Internal Party Tensions
The crisis in Ripoll caused significant tension within the PSC, particularly because the two councillors who abstained did not consult the party leadership. Salvador Illa, the PSC's first secretary, had prioritised combating the far-right, but the party's internal structure failed to control this strategic area.
Sources within the PSC in Girona told El Confidencial that there has been a feeling of abandonment by the party leadership in the region for about a year. They suggest that the Girona leadership is focused solely on ensuring Sílvia Paneque, the regional Minister for Territory and Generalitat spokesperson, wins the Girona city mayoral election in the next municipal vote.
Elmon.cat reported that between August 2024 and the end of 2025, Paneque attended 242 events as a guest. Of these, 117 were in the Barcelona area and 79 in Girona, accounting for 32% of her total appearances. This suggests Paneque may leave her ministerial role to run for mayor again. The UGT's intervention in Ripoll is expected to ease some pressure on her.
