CKD clears up doubts and stops the debate. He National Council of the party will meet this Saturday with the intention of endorsing that the president Pere Aragones is once again the party’s candidate for the next Catalan elections, as EL PERIÓDICO has learned. With the announcement, the Republicans intend to put an end to the doubts and speculations that arose with the amnesty lawsince its application will lift the disqualification penalties when it becomes effective and Oriol Junqueraspresident of the party, may once again head electoral lists.
This raised doubts about whether Aragonès was going to run for a second term or whether, on the other hand, Junqueras was going to try to return to the Generalitat. However, the amnesty debate in Congress, the foreseeable delay in the Senatealong with the possible judicial doubts that They will extend the exemption of the causes of the ‘procés’ once the law is approved, make it difficult to set a specific date for criminal oblivion. And the calendar for the Catalans, which only depends on the president, is not clarified either, but the first step is that it is not questioned who will top the list of the Republicans.
This Saturday it will be confirmed that Aragonese He is the one anointed by the party to be the next candidate, although it will not be formally proclaimed. That will only happen when the date of the Parliament elections approaches. Then, the party will open a primary process where the president, and any members who wish to do so, will be able to present candidacy. No one doubts, however, that Aragonese will be done with the nomination when the time is right. With Junqueras stepping aside, no one is in a position to propose a fight with chances of winning it.
Budgets as an accelerator
Although Aragonès has always claimed, actively and passively, that he wants exhaust the legislature, which ends in February 2025, the approval of the 2024 budgets could bring an electoral call closer. The negotiation of the accounts is underway, and the forecast in Palau is that the Government’s alliance with the PSC and the Comuns can be reissued, on account of mutual dependence in the Congress of Deputies. Now, socialists and purples rule out offering a blank check and they shake the rush of the Governmentwhose speed they attribute to the fact that Aragonès seeks to first tie support to the Catalan accounts in order, in the midst of a struggle with Junts, to be able to make the seven ERC votes essential for Pedro Sanchez.
On the Government’s list of priorities is to unravel the two budgets in March, to celebrate the first meeting between parties with verifierthen reactivate the dialogue table with the presence of the two presidents and channel the transfer of Rodalies and the minimum vital income. A list of milestones that the president wants to be his credentials to run for office again.
With the accolade for Aragonès this Saturday, ERC tries to short circuit speculation that they delve into their weakness, according to the parliamentary minority of the Government after the break with Junts 15 months ago, and shore it up so that the internal process is closed by the time it decides to call elections. All this taking into account that Salvador Illa will be confirmed as a PSC candidate in the party congress between March 15 and 17 in which he will revalidate the position of ‘first secretary’ and that the focus will later be on Junts, since Laura Borras He will not be able to repeat due to his conviction and in whose ranks he starts with an advantage Josep Rullbeing also disabled Jordi Turull. The date of the elections will also determine whether Carles Puigdemont may or may not be a candidate.
That is another key to understanding that CKD want to clear the road to Aragonès as soon as possible. The Republicans and the Socialists will be the only two formations with a clear candidate for the next parliamentary elections, while the rest, especially in Togetheryou will still have to do your respective internal debates and processes.
When will the elections be?
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Although in Palau they did not see incentives to advance the elections, at this time all possible scenarios are being studied and what they could be. the best context to summon the Catalans at the polls. Among the options is even that they be during this springa time when the Basque elections must also be held, and before the European elections on June 9 in which the candidacy of Puigdemont If that it is taken for granted. The electoral impact of the former president, together with the management of the drought crisis in the minority and with restrictions that could go further, advises against, according to some ERC voices, that the elections be held just after the summer.
Just in case, the party rolls up its sleeves to put order to the internal and for projecting Aragonès as a candidate, ruler and manager in this first quarter of the year, consolidating the two legs of his Government – the day-to-day management and the sovereign flank – with the promotion of agreements such as the transfer of Rodalies and the entry vital minimum, with a unique financing proposal for Catalonia, and with the resumption of the dialogue table with the Government in which it aspires to deliver the clarity agreement. However, there are already those who consider that there will hardly be a better scenario to press the electoral button.