Carles Puigdemont to the Rescue of Junts

Time passes but some things don't change. In the Catalan elections of December 2017, after the declaration of independence and Puigdemont's escape, Junts presented themselves with the slogan "to bring back the president, you have to vote for the president." Six years later, in these general elections, they are once again playing the "legitimate president" card.

Puigdemont's party has traveled to his hometown, Amer, to hold the central campaign rally. He himself addressed his supporters from a screen, urging them to vote massively. His intention is to combat abstention and challenge Esquerra for space.

"We don't abstain when we are attacked, we are used to swimming against the tide and we don't abandon our duty to defend the country," he said. Puigdemont reinforced the idea of presenting Junts as the party that stands up to Madrid.

In fact, he didn't miss the opportunity to provoke ERC, whom he accused of playing into the hands of Spanish parties in Madrid. On the contrary, he urged going to the "trenches" of Madrid to "stand up and bend the State." Puigdemont thus reaffirms the strategy of confrontation against ERC's pragmatic line.

Puigdemont, Desperate

Carles Puigdemont has come to the defense of Junts's candidate, Míriam Nogueras, who is also his personal choice and loyal supporter. He said of her that she is "incorruptible." He highlighted that "she is driven by loyalty to the country" and that "she doesn't allow herself to be intimidated by pressure."

Junts parades the former president at a time when the exile strategy is more in question than ever. Their intention, as in previous elections, is to present the vote for Junts as the vote for the only legitimate president of Catalonia. This, despite being cornered by justice and increasingly abandoned by his base.

The strategy precisely involves mobilizing the disenchanted pro-independence vote with Puigdemont's appeal. It's no surprise that he insisted on massive voting on July 23. Additionally, the Junts members unite against their major adversaries.

Junts Goes on the Offensive

In addition to the fight against abstention and the Puigdemont card, their strategy relies on two other pillars. One, the attacks against PSC and ERC to present Junts as the only party capable of defending Catalonia. The other, emphasizing the investment deficit in Catalonia.

In Junts, they believe that if they manage to deter abstention and capture the discontented vote with Esquerra, they can achieve a good result in Madrid. Their deputies there will be of little use, as they have already shown their intention to block the investiture. Instead, they see Congress as the first battle before the definitive war against ERC.