The PSC aims to control the Diputació de Barcelona for another four years and for this it is negotiating the support of En Comú Podemos, with whom the talks are “advancing”, and with representatives of some of the parties that make up the Junts coalition, present to the supramunicipal institution. The objective is to obtain the vote of at least two independent deputies belonging to the post-convergence group after verifying that these leaders are in favor of re-editing the government agreement with the Socialists.
Among the supporters of repeating the agreement with the PSC in the corporation are leaders with their own party who partnered with Junts in the municipal elections, such as Marc Castells, mayor of Igualada, and Sergi Vallès, mayor of Torrelles de Foix and general secretary of Impulsem Penedès, a local post-convergent brand.
The Socialists have so far tried to close an agreement with the entire coalition, but Junts’ refusal – noted yesterday after the leadership meeting – has been gaining weight in the formation of Carles Puigdemont, especially since what happened with the mayor of Barcelona. This circumstance made those from Salvador Illa explore alternatives and find the receptivity of these two independents.
The socialists’ bet is to get their support, which, added to the five deputies of the commons, could impose itself on the alternative that the Junts leadership now wants to articulate with ERC, after knocking on the PSC’s door.
The absolute majority of the plenum of 51 deputies of the Diputació de Barcelona is marked by 26 parliamentarians. The PSC is the group with the most representation (17 deputies). With the five of the commons – should the negotiations be fruitful – they add up to 22. On the contrary, Junts is the second force with 12 deputies, which with the 11 of ERC reach 23, and which could rise to 24 with the vote of the party of the mayor of Terrassa, Jordi Ballart, Tot per Terrassa. However, if the PSC attracts at least two deputies attached to Junts, it could add 24 compared to the 22 of the pro-independence alternative.
With these 24 deputies it would be enough to elect the presidency in the second vote, because in the arithmetic no one takes into account the votes of Vox – one representative -, nor of the PP – with four deputies – since the commons are not ready that the formula given to Jaume Collboni by the mayor of Barcelona be repeated.
In Junts there were already opponents to repeating the pact with the PSC before Xavier Trias was left without the mayorship at the last minute, and discontent with the Socialists has grown within the party, despite the fact that Trias himself was a supporter of be “smart” and agree with the PSC to share power in the third institution in Catalonia in terms of economic resources. It manages more than 1,200 million euros.
Junts’ voices against the agreement have spread even to the most pragmatic sector, although the socialists assure that of the 12 post-convergence deputies of the deputation, only one is against agreeing with the PSC. So, with the no to the pact with those of Illa, announced yesterday by the post-convergence spokesman, Josep Rius, the party risks being left without one of the few great strongholds of power that it had left after leaving the Government of Peter Aragonés. “Together, they are committed to building with other political forces an alternative majority to the PSC to govern the Provincial Council of Barcelona”, pointed out Rius.
Despite the fact that Junts had the matter of the deputation on his mind for days, in yesterday’s management meeting there was some discussion on the issue and some leaders were missing, according to sources consulted. Although everyone agreed that agreeing with ERC to try to lead the supra-municipal body was the best option, there were warnings that there was a risk of being left out of the institution and in a worse position. The debate, however, this time is not quite a fight between the different sectors of Junts.
While waiting for the socialist strategy to be consumed, it remains to be revealed who will occupy the presidency of the supra-municipal body. The name of Lluïsa Moret, socialist mayor of Sant Boi de Llobregat, gains weight over that of Núria Marín, mayor of l’Hospitalet de Llobregat and current president of the supra-municipal body. Moret is deputy secretary of organization of the PSC and of the full confidence of Illa. Moreover, it agrees with the will of the party leader to promote new party cadres.
