Esquerra Republicana has announced this Tuesday its entry into the government of the Barcelona Provincial Council, controlled by the PSC and chaired by the socialist Lluïsa Moret, mayoress of Sant Boi de Llobregat, as La Vanguardia has advanced. The Republicans, who had charged Junts for four years for dealing with the Socialists in that supra-municipal entity in the previous term, did not support the PSC in the constitution of the corporation, two weeks ago. However, as pointed out in this medium, the entry into the executive of Oriol Junqueras had already been agreed, although we had to wait for the general elections on July 23 and for the results, in case they truncated an entente that was already more than cooked.
Moret was invested with the votes of En Comú Podem (which has five deputies), that of Tot per Terrassa and with the support of two independent mayors attached to JxCat, the one of Igualada, Marc Castells, and the one of Torrelles de Foix, Sergi Vallès, who is secretary general of the local post-convergence training Impulsem Penedès.
In this way, the PSC took control of the supra-municipal entity with the largest budget in Catalonia – more than 1,200 million euros in the last year – and instead Junts lost the last great redoubt of power that it had left after leaving the Government of Pere Aragonès ten months ago.
The words of the ERC spokesman in the Provincial Council, Dionís Guiteras, in the plenary session of July 13 – he opened the door to collaborate and start a new stage – already at that moment supported the possibility that the Republicans would enter the executive after the general elections. By making the agreement public, ERC has pointed out that they join “the most plural government” of the corporation.
On the other hand, the Junts spokesperson, Neus Munté, promised to make a “constructive, responsible” and “non-sectarian” opposition, but warned that they would be “demanding” with good governance and transparency so that all municipalities have “the same opportunities”.
Although the PSC does not close the door on incorporating the post-convergent members into the body, from the party of Jordi Turull and Laura Borràs they reject that option. In fact, the spokesman, Josep Rius, charged the Republicans on Tuesday for lying, since in the pre-campaign for the generals and during the campaign they had assured that they would not agree with the Socialists in the Barcelona Provincial Council. Thus, the criticism has more to do with the lies of those from Junqueras than with the fact that they have agreed. However, Rius has also reproached ERC for preferring a pact with the PSC in Lleida and Tarragona rather than a pro-independence agreement like the one that did take place in Girona.
With the movement of this Tuesday, Esquerra is in the government of the four Catalan councils and controls the presidency in Lleida and Tarragona thanks to his agreement with the PSC. In Girona, on the other hand, the presidency is held by Junts.