CUP and Comunistes de Catalunya have agreed to form a joint ticket for Barcelona's 2027 municipal elections. The alliance aims to unite anticapitalist forces and open the door to other groups. The move targets the city's current political landscape.
CUP and Comunistes de Catalunya have formalized a political alliance to contest the 2027 municipal elections in Barcelona, aiming to reestablish a strong anticapitalist presence in the city council. The agreement, reached after months of joint work and several weeks of negotiation, seeks to build a broad-based 'popular unity' list that welcomes other organizations, social movements, and independent candidates. The coalition's name and leading figures will be announced after the summer.
The new alliance positions itself as municipalist, anticapitalist, sovereigntist, and pro-independence, with the explicit goal of challenging the current city model. Both CUP and Comunistes de Catalunya share a critical view of Barcelona's trajectory, highlighting issues such as the housing emergency, rising touristification, real estate speculation, and the gradual displacement of working-class residents from traditional neighborhoods.
The first public step for the project will be the Municipalist Popular Assembly, scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at La Violeta de Gràcia. This event is designed to open the process to neighborhood associations, social movements, grassroots collectives, and trade unions. CUP sources emphasize that the initiative is intended to integrate a wide range of perspectives, and they stress that the coalition's name will not be a barrier if changing it helps attract new partners.
Internally, the move reflects a strategic shift within Barcelona's alternative left. CUP has not held seats in the city council since 2015, when it secured three councillors, and failed to regain representation in both 2019 and 2023. The new approach aims to broaden the electoral base and compete in a fragmented political environment, where Barcelona en Comú (Gerardo Pisarello), ERC (Elisenda Alamany), and PSC (Jaume Collboni) have established candidates. The alliance directly criticizes the administration led by Jaume Collboni, accusing it of consolidating a city model that favors real estate, financial, and tourism interests. In response, the new coalition promises a credible, combative alternative representing working-class residents.
The project will continue to develop over the coming months, with an official launch and additional political, social, and individual endorsements expected after the summer. The emergence of this alliance comes at a time when the left-wing landscape in Catalonia is undergoing significant changes, as seen in recent shifts in parliamentary representation. For example, the rise of far-right parties in the region has been documented, with recent polling showing Aliança Catalana and Vox nearing 30% of seats in the Catalan Parliament. This evolving context adds urgency to efforts by CUP and Comunistes de Catalunya to rebuild a unified leftist front in Barcelona.
Barcelona's municipal elections are traditionally a focal point for broader political trends in Catalonia. The city's governance has a direct impact on housing, urban development, and social policy, making the outcome of the 2027 vote particularly significant for residents. The new alliance's ability to attract additional groups and present a cohesive alternative will likely shape the dynamics of the campaign and influence the future direction of the city.
