Junts and Aliança Catalana Clash Over Banyoles's Mega Mosque

The rivalry between Junts and Aliança Catalana is marking the political current events in Catalonia. Both parties are fighting to control the conservative nationalist space, with security and immigration at the center of the political agenda. Junts is trying to establish a tough profile to rival Aliança Catalana, but they constantly point out their double standards between words and actions.

The controversy surrounding the Banyoles mega-mosque is an example. Junts, which holds the mayoralty, defends the legality of the process through which it has met the demands of the Islamic community. Aliança Catalana, on the other hand, accuses the mayor of lying.

Aliança Catalana Opposes

The city council approved in September 2023 a modification of the Municipal Urban Planning Plan (POUM) for the designation of a plot as land for religious use. This gave the green light to the relocation of the mosque that until then was in a basement on Barcelona Street. The location on the new land would allow for a larger mosque to accommodate the large Islamic community.

"It is not a particular case but of a group of three or four thousand people," justified the Junts mayor, Miquel Noguer. "We need to find a permanent space to meet the needs of the Islamic community," said the deputy mayor, Jordi Congost.

But Aliança Catalana, without representation in the city council, opposed the construction of the mega-mosque from the beginning. They accuse Junts of modifying the POUM to give Muslims a building that was supposed to be used for housing.

They also criticize that the new mosque has been relocated "without the approval of the residents living in the area." They claim there is evident unrest and much concern among the neighbors.

Leave the Junts Mayor Speechless

The mayor continues to defend that it is a "collective need" of the city. But Aliança Catalana has returned to the charge, accusing him of opacity.

In a television appearance, the mayor of Banyoles appeared upset by a viewer's message. The viewer asked the mayor "how is it that they have been using the mega-mosque for months without having the permits." And why they have electricity illegally, committing a crime of electricity supply fraud.

This viewer accuses the city council of being aware of these irregularities. The mayor replied nervously, not knowing what to say. "When he sees on the screen questions about what they want to hide from the citizens, he is left speechless," said Aliança Catalana.

For the Orriolists, this is a clear demonstration of Junts's complexities regarding immigration. They accuse them of wanting to give a speech but then showing the opposite with their actions. In Junts, there is an attempt to shift to the right, but they still can't shake off the woke legacy of recent years.