Gabriel Rufián stays atop Esquerra Republicana’s ticket for 29-N after days of internal wrangling. The party’s executive locked in his candidacy, granting him leeway to campaign outside Catalonia under fresh conditions.
ERC’s internal gridlock finally 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 while the leadership made the call, the formal green light was set for October 20, with regional congresses tasked to finalize the full lists.
Inside ERC, rumors ran hot over whether Rufián would bolt for a national coalition. Some in the party egged 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, determined to keep the party’s identity and control over its lists. Spanish media pointed to Junqueras’s insistence on keeping decision-making in-house.
ERC had even considered Jordi Albert as a backup candidate in case negotiations with Rufián failed to reach an agreement before the internal deadline.
The deal that finally landed gives Rufián a key opening: he can campaign outside Catalonia to help rally the alternative left, tapping his national profile but staying under ERC’s banner. The party’s statement confirmed his candidacy but kept the fine print under wraps. Independent fact-checks flagged that not every source could verify Rufián’s 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: "you can't win alone," as he called for a broad left and antifascist front. Talks with Bildu, BNG, and Adelante Andalucía fizzled, 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.
The party leadership scheduled the formal ratification of all congressional and senate candidates for October 20, highlighting that Rufián's announcement was a political move but not the final step in the internal process. The ultimate composition of the lists was to be refined at upcoming regional congresses, reflecting ongoing debates about ERC's electoral strategy.
Talks between Rufián and the leadership swung between secrecy and public friction. Rufián pressed for more say over the lists and greater leverage in Madrid. Most new candidates are seen as Junqueras loyalists, but Rufián still gets some input: 25% of independents are picked at the former vice president’s discretion.
One major outcome: Rufián can appear at Podemos campaign events outside Catalonia if he gets prior sign-off. In exchange, Podem will skip running solo in Catalonia and instead join ERC’s lists. This mirrors 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’s move signals a bet on stability over risk. The final lists will be hammered out at regional congresses, with the October 20 ratification looming.
Rufián’s public calls for alliances with other leftist and antifascist groups—broadcast on X—underscore ERC’s anxiety about its prospects. The party’s deal with Podemos, limited as it is, marks a tactical compromise. ERC’s strategy now faces a test both at the polls and inside its own ranks, as the left’s electoral field in Barcelona grows more fractured and competitive.
