Rufián, increasingly alone within ERC

Gabriel Rufián is no longer just ERC's spokesperson in Congress; nor is he, as some believe, Junqueras's protégé. Above all, Rufián is a very ambitious politician, with constant media focus and a discourse framed at the national level that distances him more and more from his party. His latest proposal to form a "great plurinational coalition" with other peripheral left-wing groups has been the most visible trigger of a fracture that had been brewing for months.

The truth is that this alliance idea hasn't resonated within ERC, and it has even been publicly discredited by Oriol Junqueras. The republican president, in a move as calculated as it is eloquent, wanted to make it clear that he neither supports the initiative nor guarantees that Rufián will run again as a candidate in future general elections. He says his selection will be left in the hands of the party members. In short, it's another of the classic Vatican maneuvers that have earned Junqueras the nickname mossèn.

No one seems to say – including Junqueras himself – that Rufián's current moves are the natural conclusion of "junquerismo." That is, prioritizing the social issue over the national one effectively leads ERC as a party to lose its meaning. All that was needed was an electoral collapse (done) and the boosting of a highly mediatic figure (done) to reach the current situation.

From Junqueras's squire to free spirit

The paradox is remarkable. Rufián was a product of Junqueras, launched in 2015 as a fresh and combative figure to connect with voters in the red belt. For years, the tandem worked: ERC grew in votes and national presence while Rufián became the most recognizable face of Catalan separatism in Madrid.

But the scenario has changed. The poor results in 2023 and 2024 have worn down the party, and Rufián's ideas no longer seem to fit the leadership's strategy. In fact, his growing affinity with sectors of the Spanish left has caused discomfort in an ERC that has suddenly remembered they're separatists.

To make matters worse, his media prominence, following in the footsteps of figures like Pablo Iglesias or Jordi Évole, gives him extra lives. Meanwhile, he multiplies viral appearances, while the party accuses him of overexposure and of having put his personal brand ahead of the collective project. In Calàbria, it hasn't gone unnoticed that in key coordination meetings, his place is now taken by deputy Inés Granollers.

Inés Granollers, the face of the other ERC

As journalist Laura Fàbregas explained in The Objective, the deputy from Lleida is consolidating herself as the new internal face in Congress. Granollers represents what ERC considers "party politics": discreet management, alignment with the leadership, and a more institutional profile. Compared to Rufián the communicator, she is the local leader who has managed to gain influence without making waves.

The contrast with Rufián couldn't be greater. He openly supports figures like Laure Vega, former CUP deputy, and has even flirted with the idea of a candidacy for the Generalitat if Junqueras can't run. Granollers, on the other hand, has been the silent replacement in key meetings and represents the classic profile of ERC's interior: territorial loyalty, sober discourse, and little exposure.

Crossfire: Podemos, Bildu and the "leak"

The problem for Rufián isn't just within his party; he has also caused unease among the potential allies of that hypothetical plurinational coalition. According to The Objective, Podemos believe Rufián acted disloyally by speaking publicly about an idea that should have been worked on behind the scenes.

Pablo Iglesias even called the move "stupidity," and Bildu, in private, have shown surprise and confusion. Clearly, Iglesias, who is like Rufián and has already been through several betrayals, senses the republican's maneuver. That is, a kind of second takeover bid – the first was Sumar – for Podemos under Rufián's leadership.

The indiscretion hasn't been well received in a context where every move must be calculated to the millimeter. Podemos aspired to lead that coalition, with Irene Montero at the helm in Madrid, and now see that possibility at risk due to a "leak" from someone they suspect might even want to lead it. The result: more tension, more doubts, and an increasingly compromised position for the republican spokesperson.

The paradox of the loudspeaker

Rufián has built his power from the outside, but he suffers the consequences inside. His videos keep going viral, his phrases are retweeted thousands of times, and his discourse still finds an echo in national media. But that visibility doesn't translate into authority within ERC. In fact, it's just the opposite: the more he shines outside, the more uncomfortable he becomes inside.

The outcome hasn't been written yet. Rufián may manage to renew his candidacy or find another platform from which to continue his political career. But what seems clear is that his time as ERC's unquestionable spokesperson is coming to an end. The media-savvy politician has challenged his own party with ideas that, for now, don't find support.