Ester Capella and Salvador Vergés: ERC and Junts Bring Out the Heavy Artillery

ERC and Junts are definitively launching into a war in a new political stage in Catalonia marked by ideological polarization. Once the strategic unity of independence was discarded, Republicans and post-convergents want to fight on the left-right axis. To do this, they have brought out the heavy artillery, giving the weight of the spokespersons to Ester Capella and Salvador Vergés.

Capella and Vergés represent two hard profiles both in tone and in ideological leaning to the left and right. With Ester Capella, ERC puts at the forefront the former councilor who led the housing regulation stage in Pere Aragonès's government. With Salvador Vergés, Junts puts at the forefront a profile that combines activism with the institutional shift demanded by the new times.

Ester Capella, Institutional and Belligerent Profile

The emergence of Ester Capella is linked to the internal restructuring of ERC after the reelection of Oriol Junqueras as president. The new leadership appointed Capella as the new spokesperson instead of Marta Vilalta, an opponent of Junqueras. Although for now, they keep Josep Maria Jové as the leader of the parliamentary group, he has been losing weight while the former councilor gains prominence.

Capella is chosen by ERC to lead the new stage in Parliament while Junqueras's disqualification is not solved. On one hand, she offers the institutional stature that the formation needs to regain credibility. Besides being the Territory Councilor, she was also the Justice Councilor in Quim Torra's government, a deputy in Congress, and the Delegate of the Generalitat in Madrid.

Her hard and belligerent tone contrasts with the friendly and conciliatory profile of Josep Maria Jové. This allows ERC to mark a more intransigent profile with the Govern and stake territory against Junts. Capella has led the conversations about the housing agreement and also headed the offensive against Councilor Paneque for the chaos in Rodalies.

Her prominence coincides with a new leftward shift of her party. Last week, they presented a motion to sanction municipalities that do not register even people without a fixed residence. They also rejected a motion against squatting and returned to benevolence with security and immigration.

Salvador Vergés, the Independentist Right

Salvador Vergés was not in the running as a possible replacement for Carles Puigdemont in the past elections, but he has gained prominence in a short time. Just like between Capella and Jové, his oratory skills also contrast with the rather discreet role of Albert Batet. In recent weeks, he has gained weight by marking an independentist profile with the chaos in Rodalies and a right-wing stance on the housing issue.

Vergés comes from independentist activism but over the years has gained an institutional profile. This allows Junts to advance in its institutional shift without giving up confrontation with the State. This was seen, for example, in his intervention in the monographic plenary on Rodalies, where he called to "kick Renfe out" of Catalonia.

But besides independentist activism, Vergés comes from the business world. He created a successful company in the agri-food sector, in the shareholding of which is, among others, Gerard Piqué. This also makes him a pillar of Junts's rightward shift and their attempt to rebuild bridges with Catalan entrepreneurs.

Against more progressive profiles like Agustí Colomines and Aurora Madaula, Vergés represents with Joan Canadell and Antoni Castellà the right-wing flank of Junts. A few days ago, we saw him defend the right's theses on housing against the regulatory offensive of PSC, ERC, Comuns, and the CUP.

This allows Junts not only to distance themselves from ERC but also to compete for the independentist right's vote with Aliança Catalana.