Postponement of the ERC Barcelona Congress
The ERC Barcelona congress that was scheduled for this Thursday and that was to determine the party’s participation in Jaume Collboni’s government had to be postponed due to the large influx of people that exceeded the party’s expectations. The Orfeó Martinenc room, with capacity for about 270 people, was filled while there were still around a hundred militants on the street waiting to enter.
From the ERC management, the decision of the Barcelona Federation to join the municipal government is not perceived with complete clarity. The leadership of the independence party warns that participation in Collboni’s government could affect the investiture negotiations.
Statements by Marta Rovira
The general secretary of ERC, Marta Rovira, has expressed the importance of rescheduling the congress as soon as possible, stressing that the militancy wants to have a voice in this process. Although she has refrained from commenting on the pre-agreement to join Collboni’s government, she has emphasized the need to hold the canceled congress.
Rovira has communicated that the national leadership of ERC is willing to provide ERC Barcelona with all the necessary support and party resources to carry out the meeting. Likewise, he has contradicted some opinions of the municipal group that maintained that this week was the opportune time to hold the congress, arguing that from now on the negotiations for the investiture in the Generalitat will take shape.
Negotiations and ERC Position
Marta Rovira has scheduled for next week the first meetings of the ERC negotiating teams with those of the PSC and Junts for the investiture of the next president of the Generalitat. In relation to possible proposals, Rovira has stated that ERC has not yet received specific proposals from the parties of Salvador Illa and Carles Puigdemont to evaluate possible support.
Furthermore, he has urged the PSC and Junts to make movements, pointing out that both parties must present proposals, since, in his words, there are two parties that have been ahead of ERC in this process.
Regarding a possible electoral repetition, Rovira has expressed that ERC does not consider it a good idea, although he has assured that the party has candidates capable of leading the list.
Financing and Moncloa’s Position
In response to Moncloa’s statement on the drafting of a law to forgive the Generalitat’s 15 billion euro debt with the FLA, Rovira has expressed his disapproval of negotiating through the media and has insisted on bilaterally agreed financing.