CUP and PSC Agree to Oust Junts and Take Over a Mayoralty in Catalonia

Municipal politics is becoming an interesting battleground in Catalonia. Recently, Ripoll became the epicenter of Catalan politics due to the failed motion of no confidence against Sílvia Orriols. Now the left is taking their revenge by ousting Junts from the mayor's office of another town, in Vilassar de Mar.

Junts won the 2023 elections with 9 councilors and obtained the mayor's office thanks to a government pact with ERC. However, the three republican councilors left the government in January, leaving Junts in the minority. Now they have joined the motion of no confidence by PSC and CUP to oust the post-convergents and form an alternative government.

The motion of no confidence is led by the five councilors of Babord, the brand under which CUP and Comuns ran together in the last elections. The three councilors from PSC and the three from ERC give them the sufficient majority to push for the change.

The pact follows local logic. The promoters of the motion refer to a "process of deterioration" and a "lack of leadership" that has led to a "governability crisis." Junts governs in the minority and has no budget, which is why the left signed a pact this Tuesday to carry out the motion of no confidence.

The signatories establish as a priority the formation of a broad government with the maximum possible consensus. Their goal is to address the most urgent tasks, including approving the budget. The formation of the new government will be debated on March 25.

Junts Loses Even More Territorial Power

It is inevitable to think about the national implications of this operation, despite it occurring at the local level. It should be remembered that it was Junts who thwarted the assembly of a majority to oust the mayor of Ripoll last February. The situation in Vilassar has provided the right context to take revenge on Junts and oust them from another mayor's office.

Junts's position is further weakened at the local level, after losing much of its territorial power in the municipal elections of May 2023. Jordi Turull was one of the main figures blamed for the disastrous alliance strategy that left them out of the majority of mayor's offices and provincial councils. Losing a new stronghold further exposes Junts's leadership.

This motion of no confidence highlights Junts's isolation in the current Catalan political landscape. This is becoming evident in Parliament, where the Junts members have been isolated, and also in municipal alliances. Without allies on the national front due to their conflict with ERC, Carles Puigdemont's formation is at the mercy of the left.