Carles Puigdemont, a Problem for Junts

The affirmative vote of Junts's commissioner on BBVA's takeover bid for Banco Sabadell has opened a new internal crisis within the party. The party showed its opposition to the takeover bid. But Pere Soler, a board member appointed by Junts in the CNMC (National Commission of Markets and Competition), endorsed the operation with his affirmative vote.

This has exposed Junts and given ammunition to its rivals, especially ERC, to attack a party that has lost its way. This time, all eyes are on Carles Puigdemont. The appointment of Pere Soler was a personal bet of his.

Carles Puigdemont was convinced that it was necessary to gain presence in strategic places and centers of power. Especially in the business sector, where Junts keeps an open struggle with the socialists. It was Puigdemont himself who insisted on placing Pere Soler in the CNMC's commission.

The discrepancy between the party's position and its board member's vote has left Junts's image in tatters. Puigdemont tried to solve the crisis with a tweet that added even more confusion. In recent hours, internal criticism has risen against a figure, Puigdemont, who has lost charisma and authority.

Call for an Urgent Replacement

The convergent sector of Junts has been suspicious for some time. They consider Puigdemont to be an exhausted figure, whose fluctuations prevent the recentralization that their space now needs.

For them, the fiasco of the takeover bid for Banco Sabadell is the definitive proof that the former president is completely disconnected from reality. They see it as a weakness to have a president who leads by tweeting. Meanwhile, the PSC continues to grow without it being very clear who is acting as the opposition in Catalonia.

This would have some justification if Junts's leadership on social media yielded any kind of return, but it is quite the opposite. With each new tweet, Puigdemont shows that he has lost his messianic aura and attracts more haters than followers. An animosity that began with the pact with the PSOE, and that instead of diminishing, is increasing.

Faced with this, more and more convergents are betting on a replacement to return to the essence of the old convergence. They believe that the current moment calls for the presence of a conservative nationalist party that recovers the space ceded to Aliança Catalana. In contrast to the wear and tear of the old pro-independence guard, they believe that they must bet on prestigious figures like Jaume Giró.

Junts Is Losing Time

The doubts about Puigdemont, which have been long-standing, gain more strength in light of the amnesty question. A party without a leader present in the day-to-day of Catalonia is a handicap and an advantage for its adversaries. If the amnesty continues to be delayed, they risk facing the 2027 municipal elections and the 2028 Catalan elections unprepared.

Junts is not only losing valuable time to consolidate a national alternative, but it is also showing weakness and disorientation. Just the last thing it needs in the midst of a confidence crisis. Their recent failures are concerning on two levels.

On one hand, losing credibility distances Junts from the business sector, which is key to competing with the PSC. Catalan entrepreneurs had backed Illa to regain stability, but they had recently distanced themselves. If Junts shows weakness and misses this train, its race toward the Generalitat will be definitively cut off.

On the other hand, there are the grassroots, increasingly in need of a new leader to restore enthusiasm. Junts's success rested mainly on Puigdemont's charisma, whose decline also drags down the party. The grassroots need new leadership to counteract the Orriols effect, and Puigdemont has fewer and fewer supporters.

The worst is the feeling that Junts is showing signs of weakness just when the PSC and ERC are most vulnerable. The convergents wonder what would happen if the party had charismatic, firm, and pragmatic leadership. The reality is that while Puigdemont wastes time tweeting about Trump, Junts is losing a golden opportunity to lead Catalonia again.