The shadow of Artur Mas shows the fracture in Junts with a Puigdemont at a low point.

Artur Mas is back in the news due to an interview in Ara where, among other things, he proposes "direct confrontation" with Aliança Catalana to neutralize their threat. The former president was already in the news in February for another interview that sparked much discussion. Last week, he participated in the Congress's investigation committee, after which he announced his intention to file a lawsuit over the espionage.

It is evident that Artur Mas has been gaining prominence within Junts, parallel to the progressive displacement of Laura Borràs's sector. This coincides with the concentration of power of the convergent sector within Junts. It also coincides with the internal questioning of Carles Puigdemont's figure, who was untouchable until recently.

Meanwhile, as the right continues to gain ground within Junts, the more leftist sectors resist disappearing. This prevents the party from freeing itself from the bipolarity it has been dragging for some time. Artur Mas only highlights the fracture in the post-convergent space.

Artur Mas gains prominence

Artur Mas began to gain prominence during Carles Puigdemont's negotiations with PSOE for Pedro Sánchez's investiture. Mas exerted notable influence for Waterloo to finally reach an agreement with the socialists. Months later, Puigdemont copied CiU's strategy in 2010 to face the Catalan elections.

Artur Mas also had a significant role in the refounding congress last October. A congress with which Puigdemont wanted to transform Junts into an umbrella for the independence movement. Something like the Casa Gran del Catalanisme, designed by Artur Mas on the eve of the Procés to scrape votes from the tripartite.

Artur Mas himself said on TV3 that the congress had meant "the recovery of Convergència's space and project." This implied an ideological shift to the right, and "leaving independence in the background."

His latest interviews confirm that Junts is giving more prominence to Artur Mas, in the midst of the party's ideological reconversion process. With the enthronement of the old convergent guard and the displacement of the Borràs sector, Junts is betting on the return of politics in the face of the failed experiment of activism. But there is another reason behind Artur Mas's return.

Puigdemont in decline

One of the reasons Puigdemont brought back Artur Mas to the post-convergent space was his influence among entrepreneurs. Artur Mas also referred to this in Sunday's interview. Amid the distancing of entrepreneurs from Salvador Illa, Mas calls for regaining the trust of the business community.

Although more erratic on other issues, in the economic aspect, Junts is showing unmistakable signs of a shift to the right. In Madrid, it stands as a representative of Catalan business interests and votes against reducing the working day. In Catalonia, it advocates for tax cuts and medicine against the left's prescriptions.

Now it is time to regain the trust of entrepreneurs, which was shattered during the turbulent years of the Procés. Artur Mas seems the most suitable person, as he represents the sectors in favor of moving beyond the Procés.

All this also coincides with an increasing questioning of Carles Puigdemont, especially among convergent sectors. Artur Mas also plays a key role in the attempt to drag the former president to more centrist positions. Their relationship has gone through many ups and downs, but it seems that Puigdemont increasingly needs the former CiU leader.