Businesswoman Anna Navarro will be the number two on former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s candidacy for the Catalan elections on May 12th. JxCat has revealed this in a statement highlighting that Navarro’s addition will “strengthen the economic profile” of the Junts + Puigdemont per Catalunya list. “I am not here to warm up the seat,” says Puigdemont’s party’s new number two, who is the vice president of Procore Technologies and received the Creu de Sant Jordi award from the Generalitat in 2021. “She is one of the most internationally recognized Catalans, with extensive experience in the most demanding environment,” Puigdemont said. “She is a technological leader.” Navarro was named the most influential woman in the world in technology by Analytics Insight in 2020.
Navarro has explained on social media that she has decided to step forward to put her experience at the service of Catalonia, which can be much more attractive “in its own voice and without complexes.” “I am here to work for what we Catalans deserve. And that is why I have decided to join President Puigdemont’s candidacy, for our prosperity and freedom as a nation.” Since confirming his intention to run for the presidency of the Generalitat, Puigdemont has reiterated that his idea is to put together a candidacy that goes beyond the Junts faction and has argued that to govern Catalonia effectively, “you must incorporate different perspectives and knowledge.” “If we want to create the conditions for talent to stay or for those who have left to return, we must foster the appropriate opportunities. And that requires decisive policies and attitudes, with a bold and limitless view of the world.”
Puigdemont announced two weeks ago his intention to run for the elections, stating that he will return to Catalonia if he has a chance of being invested regardless of the legal status of the amnesty law. The deadline for presenting complete lists to the Electoral Board is closing on the 8th. The party leadership has decided to name the list Junts + Puigdemont per Catalunya to enhance the appeal that the former president may have on the electorate. The heavyweights of the party are now competing to reach top positions on the list, with the second spot going to an independent candidate. The faction aligned with Laura Borràs, which was already a minority in the parliamentary group, has lost influence.
President Pere Aragonès has invited Puigdemont in this pre-campaign period to give his opinion on issues such as drought management or the Hard Rock project, hinting that he is only focused on independence and not on daily issues. Like Junts, ERC has also recruited an independent candidate for its lists for the elections. Tomàs Molina, the weatherman from TV3, has joined the candidacy that ERC shares with Bildu, BNG, and Més to contribute to the fight against climate change. The socialists, on the other hand, are holding their executive meeting this morning to present their candidates.
