While the pro-independence common front that Pere Aragonès proposed in several areas two Tuesdays ago remains uncrystallized, pacts at the municipal level are being forged. Some, against the spirit of the president’s initiative, and in many of them it is Junts and the PSC who join hands and leave ERC in the lurch. The republicans are also playing and right now, for example, they could forget the seven-year government pact with the post-convergents to associate with the socialists in Manresa. In Reus, Esquerra and Junts are negotiating to be the PSC’s second in command.
Together, however, it is who, for the time being, among the pro-independence parties, is more likely to avoid the common front in the municipal sphere. Tarragona Council negotiates with the PSC and has already sealed agreements with the PSC, for example, in towns such as Roses, Sitges, Cunit, Calella, Llagostera, Lloret de Mar, Riba-roja d’Ebre, Vilallonga del Camp, Sitges or Calonge and Sant Antoni – in the last two cases, the PP joins them. In some cases, the option of an alliance between ERC and JxCat was possible. The CUP has also done its part and, in order to unseat ERC from Sarrià de Ter City Council, it has agreed with the PSC.
In some cases, it is even both pro-independence parties that pre-agree with the PSC to get the City Council. For example, in Torredembarra or Cambrils, where republicans and socialists would share the mayorships over the next four years of the legislature.
Therefore, from the lack of pro-independence agreement, the one who benefits is the PSC. And the recriminations between ERC deputies and Junts are public on the networks.
In this common front, the great square has yet to be defined. Xavier Trias has advanced talks with Ernest Maragall and, if an understanding were reached, it would be a good patch for the cracks.
At this point, it is necessary to bear in mind the words of Aragonès in Marseille on Wednesday, in which he avoided answering whether the counterpart to providing Trias with some stability would be stability on the part of Junts in the Government from Parliament. “We need independence to be strong everywhere, at municipal level, with maximum agreements between independence candidates, and for the Government to have parliamentary stability”, he limited himself to saying.
But ERC and Junts continue to hold talks. At the moment, the only fruit is the presidency of the Parliament. Esquerra will vote today in favor of the post-convergent Anna Erra to replace Laura Borrà s – although many weeks ago Esquerra had already declared its intention not to prevent a new Junts presidency.
A fourth point remains: to agree programmatic points between the pro-independence candidates for the general elections on July 23. It remains to be seen if there is still a game.
