President Pere Aragonès has been announced as the lead candidate for Esquerra Republicana’s (ERC) ticket in the upcoming Catalan election. The party will formalize this decision at the national council meeting this Saturday. The proposal has received endorsements from party president Oriol Junqueras and general secretary Marta Rovira, putting an end to speculation about Junqueras’s potential return to frontline politics.
Junqueras, previously the Catalan vice president under Carles Puigdemont’s administration, had served a three-year jail sentence for his involvement in the 2017 independence referendum. However, he was later granted a pardon. Before the expected amnesty for pro-independence figures, there were discussions about Junqueras potentially returning to an election ticket. The next Catalan election is anticipated to take place by February 2025.
Catalan News Agency sources reveal that doubts linger within the party regarding the ratification and implementation of the amnesty by next year. Without the amnesty in effect, Junqueras would be unable to participate in the elections due to his disqualification from holding public office, which was part of his sedition sentence.
Esquerra Republicana maintains that they already have a strong candidate in Aragonès to lead them into the next vote. Aragonès has demonstrated considerable management skills leading the executive and has reinvigorated the negotiation process with Spain.
While the parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 2025, party sources acknowledge that the legislature may be shortened if the 2024 budgets are approved.
This development signifies a significant step for ERC as they prepare for the upcoming Catalan election. Aragonès’s leadership and the support he has garnered from party leaders position the ERC strongly as they navigate the political landscape leading up to the vote. The decision to select Aragonès as the lead candidate underscores the party’s confidence in his capabilities and represents a crucial move for ERC’s electoral strategy.
As political dynamics in Catalonia continue to evolve, the announcement of Aragonès as ERC’s lead candidate captures the attention of the public. With Aragonès’s track record in leadership and his commitment to negotiations with Spain, he emerges as a formidable candidate for voters to consider in the next Catalan election.
The anticipation builds as the national council meeting approaches, with all eyes on the formalization of Aragonès as ERC’s lead candidate. This decision paves the way for a focused and determined campaign that will shape the future of Catalonia.
