Jordi Cañas (Barcelona, ??1969) has set himself the mission as the new political spokesperson of Ciutadans to get representation in the European Parliament, but he does not take for granted that the current leader of the delegation and general secretary of the party, Adrián Vázquez, be the candidate
What has led you to take the step forward that you didn’t want to do a year ago?
The reality, as Woody Allen said, of couples who separate. In complicated moments, it is necessary to have certain certainties, and I have already been a spokesperson, people know me.
Will there be a renewal of leadership in Catalonia?
Resultism in politics is the engine of change, but the bad result we had in the last Catalan elections was not Carlos Carrizosa’s fault. Politics is like football. When the team is doing well, the coach is fantastic… The question is whether a shocker would improve the situation; I think not, but there is still time ahead. Decisions are made depending on the context, and for me right now what worries me the least is what will happen in Catalonia in a year.
Before it will be the European ones…
Yes, really, Ciutadans plays its most difficult moments after a cycle that was virtuous and was disastrous, like a kind of Greek tragedy.
What are the expectations?
First, right now, get the party to survive. It’s obvious. And this happens to revalidate the presence in Europe. We must give everything to recover the space that, if someone thought it was not necessary, the context has shown that it is essential: Europe moves forward when we reach agreements between the central parties.
However, increasing polarization…
Yes, and everyone is afraid of growing ends. It is a global process, but I will not hide in this to explain what happens in Spain, where the electoral law leaves no room for the center and this vote is not seen as useful if it is not given a context of punishment towards the big formations. But hey, that’s the challenge. Who cares about Vox? To the PSOE. He is the main ally of Pedro Sánchez’s narrative. The Doberman effect works, and socialists fuel it.
Do you think a change of trend in Europe is possible?
The European ones move with different criteria. It is a single constituency, the speech of the useful vote is not worth it. You can get the votes to get in, that’s what we have to do.
That is to say, that he would be content with Adrián Vázquez keeping his seat in the Eurochamber…
Adrian Vazquez?
Won’t he be the candidate?
I don’t have this crystal ball. What I can tell you is what we have already approved: that we will present ourselves.
There is no candidate…
Not yet. It will depend It would be reasonable for him to be, but in the event that he is confirmed, he would have a certain expiration date, because it is assumed that, when the generals arrive, that they will advance, as general secretary…
He would present himself to the generals…
My main job is to ensure that Citizens has representation in the European Parliament, where it has been key to expel Convergence from the liberal group. This was the beginning of its decline: the influence of Catalan nationalism began to be dismantled, but Sánchez has revived it thanks to Junts’ seven votes in Congress.
The PNB is also nationalist and part of the liberal group, could it not return together?
No. Together is not Convergence. It is a populist degeneration, a kind of anarcho-nationalist Convergence, something very Martian… Convergence was a regime party, it acted as a transmission belt between the economic powers.
In other words, he sees no possibility of putting anything back together…
Must a Catalan nationalism capable of understanding the democratic game, of accepting legal frameworks…? I do not know. Accusing judges with names and surnames in Congress or impeaching Sánchez in exchange for amnesty, with mafia behavior, is it a return to centrality and moderation? Well, it seems a strange way to me, doesn’t it?
