The Essence of Power and its Ridicule
The desire for power, revealed transparently and often absurdly, always contains a tinge of ridiculousness. In the political sphere, however, lacking this desire can lead to inaction and a lack of progress. During the golden period of Oriol Junqueras and Marta Rovira in the leadership of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, the party’s thinkers made an effort to camouflage their ambition for power. His intention was to create an image where the desire to govern and the desire for a common good for the nation were presented as a single entity.
The Farce of Kindness and Public Service
This artifice was based on the principle that their actions did not respond to personal or party interests, but were an exercise of public vocation. Junqueras and Rovira, as well as their party, engaged in a discourse of kindness and global peace, seeking to legitimize their desire for power as a moral imperative. This is a classic trick in politics, but if the balance between risks and benefits is not carefully considered, it can be problematic.
Repercussions of Partisan Tacticism
Since his imprisonment, every political maneuver seemed to be aimed at consolidating hegemony within what remained of the Republicans. However, this search for dominance, carried out without firm ideological bases, never managed to materialize. The attacks of distraction and emotional manipulation that were conceived in this context are easily observable today, and are humiliating for those who identify and are active in the independence cause.
Fracture between Discourse and Reality
As the pro-independence focus shifted toward a narrative of resistance in the face of political repression, a very different game emerged beneath the surface. It is essential to recognize that political formations operate under interests that transcend ideals and focus on the aspiration for power. When the disconnect between the narrative and the party’s interests becomes too pronounced, the tension increases until it breaks.
Imbalances in the ERC Strategy
The main drawback for Esquerra Republicana is that its discourse, built over the last decade, has ignored the distance between ideals and ambitions. Although President Pere Aragonès has tried to promote the initiative of a government with 80% support, the truth is that this proposal was based on a concept of the common good that turned out to be empty. Without a sufficiently robust theoretical framework that defined what it meant to be nationalist and left-wing in Catalonia, the party’s façade was exposed.
An Opportunity in the Crisis
However, the breakdown of priorities that suggests that they have taken less into account the country’s liberation could become a strength. The wound left by recent disagreements seems to open a path towards an organization that does not need to look for excuses in global struggles to pay tribute to its own cause. Unlike their counterparts, Junts, who have managed their internal dynamics in a more focused and greedy way, the Republicans face a panorama where their weakness becomes a new space to rebuild.
Cynicism and the Need to Act
The convergents, historically, have maintained a more unapologetic cynicism, asserting their right to power almost as a matter of justice. This contrast arises between the perception of the Generalitat as its own asset versus the idea that it should be a collective resource. Sometimes it makes more sense to accept the ridiculous aspect that comes with the desire for power than to try to hide it, which often leads to even more embarrassing situations.
The Disconnection between Speech and Reality
The dissonant contrast between the rhetorical analysis and the real situation has hit the Republicans harder than the Convergers. Although the imbalance in their fight for hegemony offers them a glimpse of opportunity, the continuity of old leadership and the lack of new ideological proposals prevent them from transforming their defects into virtues. To move forward, they must avoid supporting Salvador Illa and open an internal debate that is not manipulated by those who have led the party to where it is. However, in the current context, with scandals and an uncertain electoral horizon, making this transition could be interpreted as a suicidal act.