Junts per Catalunya, like the rest of the parties, has not had time to analyze the results of the municipal elections because the priority now is other elections, the general ones on July 23. But the truth is that, internally, analyzes have been made, even in sketches, about what type of discourse has worked best in local elections. With numbers in hand, positive results such as that of Xavier Trias in Barcelona or the mayors of Figueras, Equalizer either Martorell They have been preceded by a pact-oriented style and messages far removed from the sovereignist debate.
The most paradigmatic and highly significant case is Barcelona. Trias demanded it from the first minute: make the campaign to suit him. And this has meant avoiding the pro-independence debate altogether. The candidate has focused his media impact on management: security, mobility, cleanliness… and on an explicit willingness to dialogue and agree with the PSC and the ERC. The Socialists are anathema to a part of Junts, which does not want to hear about agreements with the PSC. Trias, on the other hand, has exploited his convergent past and has exhibited his harmony with the socialist candidate, Jaume Collboni, with whom he has said he shares the economic model.
Girona, bump; Badalona, disappearance
Whereas in Gironathe sharp drop in votes and councilors of the ‘ex-minister’ Gemma Geis It comes after a campaign in which he has been accompanied by party leaders and in which he has proclaimed his independence and events such as the 1-O referendum, among other issues. Geis He has spoken about the city but also about the commitment to secession. The situation of Gironawith a mayor’s office in the hands of Junts that suffered notable wear and tear, must also be taken into account in the analysis.
The leadership defends that the party has endured throughout the territory despite the pro-independence demobilization
An example of candidacies with a more radically pro-independence profile has also been that of badalona. In fact, david torrents, organization secretary of the party, had a council member, one of the few that JxCat had in the entire metropolitan area, the Comanche territory of the post-convergents. Torrents has campaigned locally, yes, but he got entangled in an ambiguous statement about his animosity with the ERC candidate, and has proclaimed his explicit support for pro-independence actions such as the mobilizations after the procés sentence. He has received the explicit support of the ‘expresident’ puigdemont and of Laura Borraswho was at the main meeting in Badalona together with Aurora Madaula and Francesc de Dalmases. Cities with a strong independence message such as Manresa either Ripoll They have also seen how the Junts candidates decreased in number of supports.
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On the other hand, returning to the moderate tone, those furthest away from Borràs cite cases such as that of Martorell, Figueras either Equalizer. Martorell is governed by Xavier Fonollosa, from the CDC and the PDECat, and who for years has been dedicated to municipal management far from the speeches of pro-independence excitement. His success on 28-M was resounding. Also the profile of the Igualada candidate, Marc Castellsmoves away from the sovereignist radicalism.
These data are questioned by the leadership, which considers that a line cannot be drawn between moderates and radicals because there has been a generally positive result for the party starting with Barcelona and continuing through the battle against ERC. This positive vision is the one that was sold in the executive last Monday, to the surprise of some who consider that a positive analysis cannot be made after what happened in important fiefdoms such as Girona, Reus, Lleida, Manresa and the metropolitan area of Barcelona.