Together for Catalonia it is finalizing the process of building the partisan artifact with which the post-convergent world wants to face the new electoral cycle that will open in less than a year with the municipal elections. Since the dissolution of CiU in 2015, largely motivated by the emergence of cases of corruption and embezzlement of public resources, this space has lived in exceptional circumstances, driven by the pro-independence ‘procés’ and by the leadership of Carles Puigdemont. At a time of change of cycle, they wanted to advance in the construction of the partisan structure.
This week has been the first part of the constitutional congress in which the leadership of the party has been elected. Once the one from Amer has withdrawn from the front line of the organization, the tandem formed by Jordi Turull and Laura Borras He is the one who has taken the reins. Now, tranquility and predictability have not been frequent among Pujol’s heirs for a long time and frictions have not been slow to surface: Laura Borràs and the people close to her have received quite significant punishment votes. So much so that the Secretary of the Organization has become vacant, which has already generated some initial misunderstandings.
Checkered Match 2.0
Two large sectors are usually differentiated within Junts led by Turull and Borràs. The first would be those who come from the old CiU, most of them with a card and holding positions prior to the wave of independence. The latter would have joined political militancy more recently: “sons of October 1 & rdquor ;, as the president of the Parliament likes to say. Although this distinction may work to understand things, it must also be said that a large part of these seconds, although in a more lax way, also belonged to the cultural space of the Pujolist hegemony. And some of them had even held institutional positions.
The post-convergent space could be defined as a party of cadres 2.0 in which the ways of functioning are little formalized and constantly changing.
Also, I would say that Junts today has more than two sectors. And the delimitation between them has little to do with ideology. What happens is largely explained from a logic of spaces of power and influence. Obviously it is not a mass party like the great organizations of the Christian Democratic, Social Democratic or Communist Internationals. But neither does it fit the ‘catch all’ party form that proliferated in Western democracies in the latter part of the 20th century. If, as a political scientist, I had to define it, I would venture to do it as a party of cadres 2.0 in which the ways of functioning are little formalized and constantly changing, where the role of cliques and plots ends up having its journey, and where leadership can be ephemeral.
Surely the main difference between Junts and CiU, beyond the pro-independence story, is the lack of a strong and solid leadership as it was Jordi Pujol. A leader who was capable of activating the bases with ‘arrauxat’ speeches (not too different from today’s, despite the fact that some ‘order’ leaders have forgotten) and at the same time lowering sails when necessary in order to achieve certain goals. Majestic as an example.
Make life impossible for CKD
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The second part of the congress will be held on July 16 and 17, in which, among other things, the political document will have to be discussed. According to journalistic leaks, this would contemplate the possibility of leaving the Govern de Aragonès as well as closing the dialogue table on October 1. The dilemma on the table will be tactical: between “it is too cold outside the Government”, positions and resources will be lost; or a “crossing through the desert” can help strengthen the political formation. And I do not venture to say who will defend what.
What there will be an agreement with is making life impossible for ERC. And it will grow as we get closer to the local contest where the cake to be distributed will be really important. The governability of the Generalitat could be affected by rebound and Aragonès would do well to be prepared. In parallel, the will of collaboration of the postconvergents with the PSC could be modulated: the pact of the Diputación or the photo of the expansion of the airport as an example. And I would not rule out post-28M agreements. Time to time.