Salvador Vergés justifies Junts's shift on immigration and it backfires: 'You're late'

Junts MP Salvador Vergés has tried to make a mark on social media with an extensive message about immigration. He has done so in a solemn tone, explaining what approach his party takes compared to other groups in Parliament. However, rather than clarifying positions, his post has shown the forced shift in discourse that Junts is experiencing. The result has been a flood of criticism.

Social media have received his words with a mix of disbelief and distrust. Many users accuse him of political cynicism and electoral opportunism. The most repeated comment has been brief, direct, and devastating: "You're late." Indeed, Junts has neglected the migration debate for years, and now they're trying to reclaim it when Aliança Catalana has already taken part of the ground:

According to the latest CEO, Sílvia Orriols's party would take between 7 and 8 MPs from them. This hemorrhage has forced Junts to correct course and take on part of the discourse that until recently they labeled as "far right." Vergés now speaks of "rights and duties" and of "Catalanizing integration." However, many see not conviction, but calculation.

Vergés criticizes PSC for their passivity on immigration and accuses Vox and Aliança Catalana of generating hatred. He also accuses ERC, CUP, and Comuns of ignoring duties in favor of a soft integration. His attempt to position Junts as a third, balanced, and rational way has been interpreted by many as an act of self-justification.

In March, Vergés himself already acknowledged that immigration is collapsing public services in Catalonia. He even questioned the obligation to register people without resources. These are arguments that until recently were taboo in Junts and for which Orriols was publicly attacked. Now, those same arguments are coming from one of their most visible MPs.

The contradiction has quickly been pointed out on social media. Several users recall that what Junts says today is what Aliança Catalana has been denouncing for some time. However, while Orriols did so alone, Junts ignored or condemned it. Hence the lack of credibility. As several commentators point out: "You're late and it's obvious."

A change that's too fast

Junts's shift isn't limited to the migration discourse. Jordi Turull has also sent messages about the "culture of effort" and work incentives. There's an operation underway to reconnect with the conservative electorate, especially ahead of the 2027 municipal elections. The question is whether they're doing it out of conviction or desperation.

Junts is trying to reclaim the convergent rhetoric, that of order, civic values, and Catalan identity. However, they're doing so without having yet broken with their years of political ambiguity. That lack of definition is what many voters don't forgive. They perceive that the party only reacts when it loses power, and that it still drags complexes that prevent it from speaking clearly.

Meanwhile, parallel to all this, the party has a leader who, like Puigdemont, can't act as such. On the contrary, the public perceives that Puigdemont has become bogged down in negotiations with PSOE to push through the amnesty. The danger is that, with PSOE, the risks are guaranteed, such as Catalan in Europe.