Violant Cervera, the current spokesperson for Junts in Lleida's city council, known as the Paeria, will be the party's mayoral candidate in the municipal elections next year. She presented her candidacy to the local assembly yesterday, with the party's leadership backing her. Militants are expected to approve her today in a vote.
This will be Cervera's first time running for mayor. In the 2023 elections, she was second on the list behind Toni Postius. However, Cervera took over leadership of the group just days after the elections. Postius did not accept his councillor's seat and resigned following a poorer result than in 2019. This, combined with a decline for ERC, led to Junts leaving the government.
Before her time in the Paeria, Cervera served as the Minister for Social Rights between 2021 and 2022. She was also a Member of Parliament from 2012 to 2018.
Cervera's Vision for Lleida
“I take on this responsibility with great pride and with the desire to achieve the best possible result to win the mayoralty, which until now has never been held by a woman,” Cervera stated. She added, “I am taking this step out of commitment to the city and its people.” Cervera expressed her intention to lead “a close, calm, and demanding project, focused on the daily lives of Lleida residents.”
She did not indicate whether she plans a renewed or continuous list of candidates, noting that she has not yet evaluated this. However, Cervera affirmed, “I am very satisfied with the work done by the team over these three years, and what we have achieved by pressuring the government on issues we consider key for the city.”
Looking ahead, Cervera will face competition from other established candidates. Fèlix Larrosa of the PSC and Jordina Freixanet of ERC are also set to run for mayor of Lleida. Xavier Palau of the PP is also highly likely to stand.
