The Catalonian president, Pere Aragonès, attended the Republic party organized by ERC in Barcelona last Saturday. The upcoming elections in the Basque Country are also becoming a platform for the electoral rivalry in Catalonia. Historical ties between the extinct Convergència and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) have been known, and now negotiations for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez have demonstrated the alliance with Junts per Catalunya, the heir of Convergència. The relationship between ERC and EH Bildu is even deeper, as they renewed their joint list for the European Parliament last month. These alliances are being showcased in different ways these days: Aragonès will join the closure of the campaign of the left-wing Basque nationalist party, while Junts chooses not to get involved in the race for Ajuria Enea.
ERC and EH Bildu have reached different agreements regarding their relationship and this will be evident in the final stretch of the Basque campaign, where all eyes are on whether Pello Otxandiano (EH Bildu) will prevail over Imanol Pradales (PNV). Both parties believe that highlighting their proximity adds value, showcasing not only the similarities in their national agenda but also their unity of action in the Congress and the Senate – where they share the same bench. Aragonès will participate in the closing campaign event with Otxandiano, which also serves as a precursor to his own campaign for revalidating the Generalitat Government on May 12th.
Junts and the PNV have chosen a different path. Sources from the Catalan party recall an agreement between former president Carles Puigdemont and the president of the Basque party, Andoni Ortuzar, to participate in each other’s party events, excluding electoral campaigns. The meeting between the two parties aimed to explore common issues in Congress. The days of the 2006 Catalan campaign, when the former PNV president supported a young Artur Mas’s bid for the presidency of the Generalitat, are long gone.
The script has been strictly followed. The number two of Junts, Jordi Turull, participated in the traditional Alderdi Eguna celebration of the PNV on September 24th in Vitoria. Both parliamentary groups renewed their collaboration with a photo after the abrupt rupture caused by the clash between Puigdemont and the Basque lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu during the events of 2017. This collaboration aims to neutralize the left-wing majority that supports Sánchez. “Our link with Bildu is strategic. We have many points in common,” summarizes Juli Fernández, strategy secretary of ERC.
Aragonès will strengthen the collaboration with EH Bildu, which also included the participation of Laura Vilagrà, the vice president of the Catalan government, in a recent EH Bildu campaign event in Sestao. The republicans are hoping for a boost in their own campaign with a strong showing of support for EH Bildu in the Basque elections. The alliance between the two parties goes beyond just joint participation in elections, as their leaderships maintain a permanent working committee for collaboration. A photo with the winner of the Basque elections could help kickstart Aragonès’ own campaign in Catalonia, where he is facing tough polls.
