ERC’s internal gridlock broke late Sunday, with Gabriel Rufián holding onto the lead spot for the 29-N elections. The party’s executive committee signed off after a week of backroom bargaining that nearly pushed Rufián toward a new leftist alliance. EFE and other Spanish outlets reported that the leadership had made its decision, while formal ratification was set for October 20 and regional congresses were tasked with finalizing the full lists.
Inside ERC, rumors swirled over whether Rufián would bolt for a national coalition. Some in the party urged him on, and Ada Colau publicly argued for a bigger tent: “There is space for everyone, we need many faces.” The leadership, though, dug in. Oriol Junqueras and his circle refused to fold ERC into a broader left bloc with Podemos or Bildu, intent on preserving the party’s identity and control over its lists. Spanish media pointed to Junqueras’s insistence on keeping decision-making in-house. ERC had also considered Jordi Albert as a backup candidate if negotiations with Rufián failed to reach an agreement before the internal deadline.
The deal gives Rufián a basic opening: he can campaign outside Catalonia to help rally the alternative left, drawing on his national profile while staying under ERC’s banner. The party’s statement confirmed his candidacy but left details unclear, including whether he would have a guaranteed role at ERC events beyond Catalonia.
Rufián’s push for a wider left alliance clashed with the ERC brass from the start. He wanted ERC to anchor a coalition to the left of PSOE, hoping to claw back ground after the party’s collapse in the last general election. ERC lost over half its seats, dropping from 17 deputies in 2019 to seven, with 466,020 votes. Junqueras’s team, wary of diluting the brand or giving up control, held the line. EFE quoted Rufián as saying, "you can't win alone," as he called for a broad left and antifascist front. Talks with Bildu and BNG fizzled, as did those with Adelante Andalucía, leaving ERC to go it alone.
No rival stepped up to challenge Rufián for the Barcelona lead. Under party rules, if no one else runs, a third of the executive’s backing is enough to confirm the pick. Only Girona remains in play, with Teresa Jordà and Etna Estrems competing for the top slot. The rest of the provincial lists are due soon, with a submission deadline of the 26th.
Talks between Rufián and the leadership swung between secrecy and public friction. Rufián pressed for more say over the lists and greater use in Madrid. Most new candidates are seen as Junqueras loyalists, but Rufián still has some input: 25% of independents are picked at the former vice president’s discretion.
One major outcome is that Rufián can appear at Podemos campaign events outside Catalonia with prior sign-off. In exchange, Podem will skip running solo in Catalonia and instead join ERC’s lists. The arrangement echoes earlier ERC collaborations with Bildu and BNG during the European elections.
ERC’s leadership stuck with Rufián even as polling suggested he could make a splash on a national ticket. The party’s internal split lingers, and the leadership has chosen stability over risk. Regional congresses will settle the final lists, with ratification set for October 20.
Rufián’s public calls for alliances with leftist and antifascist groups, broadcast on X, reflect ERC’s anxiety about its prospects. The party’s limited deal with Podemos is a tactical compromise. ERC’s strategy now faces a test at the polls and within its own ranks, as the left’s electoral field in Barcelona grows more fractured and competitive.
