It was practically closed for days but this Wednesday it has become official. PSC and En Comú Podem have closed an agreement to set up “a government of progress” in the Barcelona Provincial Council and, although they still do not have a sufficient majority to set up this supra-municipal government, they have agreed that the mayoress of Sant Boi, Lluisa Moret, will preside the entity and the former mayor of Castelldefels, Candela López, take over one of the vice presidencies.
The agreement, as La Vanguardia already pointed out, was being forged pending the decision of Junts, which last week slammed the door on the Socialists renouncing the reissue of the current agreement in favor of an alternative majority with ERC. Both pro-independence formations add up to 23 deputies, which could reach 24 with the deputy from Tot per Terrassa, the formation led by the mayor of the town, Jordi Ballart.
In this way, if the agreement between Junts and ERC is forged, both formations could take control of the Provincial Council in a second investiture vote, where only a simple majority is necessary. However, the Socialists seem to have tied at least the vote of two independent Junts deputies, with which the arithmetic would turn in favor of the entente of Socialists and Commons (24 a 21-22). All this without counting on Vox -which has a deputy and with whom nobody negotiates- and PP, which could tip the balance as happened with the Barcelona mayor’s office.
PSC sources have taken the agreement with the commons for granted for days, but they remain unknown about what may happen in the end. “It’s going long”, they point out, hoping that Junts will rectify its refusal to reissue the agreement with the Socialists, but the announcement of the pact with the commons on Wednesday – that they would not have agreed to share a table and tablecloth in the Provincial Council with the post-convergents because they have always prioritized pacts on the left- makes us think that Junts remains at its thirteen. In this way, those of Salvador Illa would be willing to activate the votes of the wayward deputies of Junts, among which would be the mayor of Igualada, Marc Castells, and that of Torrellas de Foix, Sergi Vallès.
Pending events, in their agreement, PSC and Comunes are committed to a “strong government that provides stability to the institution” and that places the needs and challenges of the towns and cities of the province of Barcelona at the center of its policies .
According to socialist sources, the agreement document includes the commitments in terms of sustainability, with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the new Urban Agenda; with the local government and with its autonomy; with innovation, transparency and open government; with equity and social and territorial cohesion; with the fight against climate change and promotion of the energy transition; with equality, recognition of diversity and feminism; with culture and education; a commitment to generate prosperity without leaving anyone behind, and with heritage and democratic memory.
