The impact of political repression in Esquerra Republicana
Esquerra Republicana has been recognized as one of the most secretive and hierarchical parties within the Catalan political spectrum, at least until the recent municipal elections. Political repression, along with the resulting sentimental anointing, provided the Republican leadership with the necessary justification to support their decisions. The imprisonment of its leaders had significant effects on the trajectory of the party.
Oriol Junqueras, an ambitious politician, became obsessed with defeating Convergència, the historical master of the Republicans. After the setback of 2017, Junqueras sought to get ahead of the political landscape, convinced that the country owed him something for his time in prison and for the influence of the convergents. However, this search for hegemony ended up harming the Republican leader.
The change in ERC strategy
After the events of 2017 and the 2019 ruling, Junqueras and the ERC leadership, advised by careless political analysts, decided to soften their classic position to attract votes from other political formations. This change led to the formation of a caretaker government that aspired to represent all of Catalonia, but the lack of firmness in its political ideology proved counterproductive.
ERC’s strategy of filling the country with generic labels such as ‘Catalunya sencera’ failed to seduce voters. Instead of securing the votes disputed on the borders, ERC gave them to other political formations that offered more solid proposals.
The current situation of Oriol Junqueras
Political repression and electoral results have weakened the authority of Oriol Junqueras. Despite this, his desire for hegemony persists, motivated by his desire for historical revenge against the Convergers. However, his leadership has been questioned, including by members of the party executive.
Junqueras is reluctant to give up his ambition, but to benefit his party and his country, he will have to consider making sacrifices. His personal resentment and bitterness keep him tied to the conflicts of the past, making it difficult to build an attractive and profound political project.
The challenge of Esquerra Republicana
It is crucial that Esquerra Republicana recognizes the need for a change of course. To move forward, the party must disassociate itself from past resentments and adopt a more flexible and constructive stance. Junqueras, in particular, must be willing to compromise for the well-being of his party and Catalonia.
