Junts leaders openly reject deals with Aliança Catalana as the far-right party gains ground. The debate exposes a deep rift over the future of Catalan nationalism and the legacy of Convergència.
The idea that Aliança Catalana could overtake Junts as the main force in Catalan nationalism is no longer far-fetched. Recent comments from Junts leaders show a party struggling to define its position as Sílvia Orriols and her party gain ground. The debate is not only about whether Junts should negotiate with Aliança Catalana, but also whether it risks being pushed aside by a movement it once dismissed.
David Madí, a former top official under Artur Mas and a fixture of the old Convergència tradition, stirred controversy in an interview with La Vanguardia. He dismissed the idea of cordons sanitaires and argued that, under certain circumstances, deals with Aliança Catalana could be possible. This approach, rooted in the era when Convergència dominated Catalan politics, now seems out of step with Junts’ current leadership.
According to a Sigma Dos poll published on September 10, 2026, Aliança Catalana would secure 16.7% of the vote and 25–28 seats, surpassing Junts, which would receive 13.2% and 19–22 seats.
Within days of Madí’s remarks, Junts’ main leaders moved quickly to distance themselves from any cooperation with the far right. At the Universitat Catalana d’Estiu, Jordi Turull called for a direct confrontation of values against ultranationalism in Catalan politics. Josep Rull criticized the “ethnicism” of Orriols’ party, and Jordi Pujol, in a September 11 radio address, defended a Catalan identity open to both newcomers and long-time residents. These statements make clear Junts’ rejection of Aliança Catalana’s exclusionary message.
The rise of a far-right independence party has forced Junts to face its own contradictions. The party is caught between the pragmatic moderation once associated with Convergència and the hardline nationalism now attracting some of its voters. Many people considering Aliança Catalana are former Convergència supporters, so the threat to Junts is both ideological and electoral. Data cited by Spanish media shows that up to 25.8% of Aliança Catalana’s potential voters previously backed Junts, underlining the scale of the shift.
For years, Junts managed to balance these competing instincts. Now, as Aliança Catalana grows, the party faces a clear choice: echo Orriols’ rhetoric or draw a firm line. The latest statements from Turull, Rull, and Pujol suggest that open confrontation is becoming the preferred path, but the risk of a split remains.
Analysts note that the internal split within Junts is not only ideological but also strategic, as a significant number of Aliança Catalana's municipal candidates previously had ties to Junts. This underlines that the competition is for both the same voter base and political talent pool.
Madí’s vision, shaped by a time when Convergència set the agenda, now seems out of touch. Recent polls suggest the real risk is that Aliança Catalana could become the main draw for nationalist voters, leaving Junts in a secondary role. In that case, it would be Aliança Catalana deciding whether to include Junts in any future coalition, not the other way around.
This situation reflects the broader instability in Spanish politics, where established parties are increasingly challenged by new groups. As recent events have shown, the legacy of the old guard does not guarantee continued influence.
Junts’ leaders now face a real test. Their recent rejection of Aliança Catalana’s approach is an attempt to defend a pluralist vision of Catalan identity and to keep far-right positions from becoming normal within the independence movement. Whether this stance will hold if electoral math changes is unclear, but the party’s credibility is at stake. The era when Convergència could dictate the terms is over. Junts now has to show it can stand by its principles without being overtaken by those willing to cross every line.
