The PSC will try to control the Barcelona Provincial Council (Diba) for another four years and for this it is exploring the possibility of gaining the support of En Comú Podem and parties integrated into the Junts coalition in the supra-municipal entity. The objective would be to gain the support of some of these deputies attached to the post-convergent party after verifying that some of these leaders, who lead parties with a territorial soul, are in favor of reissuing the government agreement with the Socialists.
Among these supporters would appear at least two mayors with their own party but who joined Junts in the last municipal elections: Marc Castells, mayor of Igualada and leader of Junts per Igualada, and Sergi Vallès, mayor of Torrelles de Foix and general secretary of Impulsem Penedès
Despite the fact that the Socialists tried to reach an agreement with the post-convergents until the end, the refusal to reissue the agreement in the supra-municipal entity that was being installed in the formation of Carles Puigdemont for days and that has been verified this Tuesday, has made Salvador Illa’s party has explored an alternative. Taking advantage of the internal division in the post-convergent ranks, they have approached territorial representatives with parties attached to Junts who are willing to lend their vote.
The bet of the socialists is precisely to gain this support to, with the five deputies of the commons, add more votes than the alternative that the Junts leadership now wants to explore, after the slam of the socialists expressed this Tuesday.
The majority of the plenary session of 51 Diba deputies is in 26 parliamentarians. The deputies of the PSC (17) plus the five of the commons add up to 22, while the 12 from Junts and the 11 from ERC add up to 23 that 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 22 for the pro-independence alternative. These 24 deputies would be enough to invest a presidency in the second vote.
Junts’ decision on the reissue of the agreement in the council with the Socialists is a consequence of what happened with the Barcelona mayor’s office. Discontent with the Socialists has grown within the party despite the fact that the post-convergent mayor, Xavier Trias, was in favor of being “intelligent” and agreeing with the PSC to share the power of one of the public institutions that manages the most economic resources (1,200 million euros).
The voices of Junts against the agreement have spread even in the most pragmatic sector, although the Socialists assure that of the 12 post-convergent deputies elected from the Diba, only one is against agreeing with the PSC. With the no to the agreement with those of Salvador Illa, indicated by the spokesman Josep Rius after the meeting of the post-convergent national executive on Tuesday, Junts risks being left without one of the few great strongholds of power that remained after having left of the Government of Pere Aragonès and having lost the mayoralty of Barcelona.
“Together is committed to structuring with other political forces an alternative majority to the PSC to govern the Barcelona Provincial Council,” Rius said on Tuesday, for which “we will open conversations with all the groups to make it possible,” he said. The party wants “to structure, with other political forces, a larger majority than that of the PSC” because “the State operation in Barcelona to prevent the independence movement from ruling the capital of Catalonia marks a before and after”, the spokesperson justified. .
The commons would also compromise with this entente that the PSC is exploring despite the fact that it has two deputies attached to Junts. “It was PP or an alternative”, justify socialist sources.
While waiting for the socialist strategy to be consummated, it will also remain to be revealed who will occupy the presidency of the deputation. The name of Lluïsa Moret, socialist mayor of Sant Boi who revalidated her absolute majority on 28-M, gains weight compared to that of Núria Marín, mayor of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and president of the Diba to date. The first, vice-president of the deputation in the last legislature, is fully trusted by Salvador Illa, who appointed her vice-secretary for organization of the PSC when he assumed command of the party, and agrees with the will of the party leader to make new leaders emerge in the formation.
