Around 300 members of Catalan pro-independence party the Republican Left (ERC) have signed a manifesto calling for a "general renewal of the leadership". The signatories call for the party to move towards a model that is "more choral and collective, transparent and with more participation of the grassroots, the territorial structure and municipal assets". The manifesto is signed by some of the best-known names of the Republicans, such as the acting vice-president, Laura Vilagrà; the current ministers Roger Torrent, Ester Capella, David Mascort, Meritxell Serret, Manel Balcells, Sergi Sabrià, and the deputy in Congress Teresa Jordà, the former deputy and Barcelona mayoral candidate Ernest Maragall, the former general secretary Joan Puigcercós, the former president of Parliament Ernest Benach, ex-minister Alba Vergés, party spokesperson Marina Llansana and several deputies, senators and current territorial cadres. Neither the acting president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, nor the general secretary of ERC, Marta Rovira, have signed the manifesto. Nor has it been signed by Oriol Junqueras, who two weeks ago left the presidency of the party with the intention of appearing, if he obtains the necessary support, at the party congress scheduled for November.
It is also signed by other ERC personalities, such as Xavier Vendrell, Joan Manuel Tresserras, Marta Cid, Oriol Amorós, Joan Ridao, Marta Vilalta, Laia Cañigueral, Sara Bailac, Pilar Vallugera and Josep Maria Reniu; fourteen mayors, such as Lluís Puig, Alba Pérez, Marc Aloy, Carlos Brull, Marc Candela, Núria Casanovas, Josep Casasses, Agustí Comas, Enric Forcada, Eloi Hernàndez, Nil Papiol, Sandra Marco, Jordi Parent, and Jordi Verdú. As well as the deputy mayor of Girona, Quim Ayats, and the ERC minister in Barcelona, Jordi Castellana. There are also dozens of councillors and former mayor Pau Ricomà, according to Nació Digital and confirmed by ElNacional.cat.
The text states that the country, Catalonia, "has changed" and, for this reason, a "profound" reflection and the entry of "fresh air" into ERC is called for. The signatories consider that the November 30th congress is a "window of opportunity" to complete the "review" that the party has the "historical responsibility" to undertake in order to lead the strategic rearmament of independentism and the republican-sovereign, grassroots Catalanism, that they defend.
The manifesto speaks of the need to have a "peaceful transition", a concept that has already been heard from Rovira. "An unavoidable peaceful internal transition must be the seed for a new impulse to outline an immediate winning future. With generosity, openness, and inclusive and not exclusive will. With internal unity, and making use of the enormous political capital accumulated in recent years", is underlined in the text. All this comes a month after the extraordinary executive that ended with the announcement of the resignation of the former president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, who stated that despite resigning he was determined to continue at the head of the Republican project.
Dionís Guiteras, mayor of Moià and member of the ERC executive, explained to Catalunya Ràdio that "an electoral cycle is now over and we have to start again, from scratch, and what better way than to do it from the ground up through this manifesto" which calls for a renovation of the top leadership. According to Guiteras, this manifesto does not mention names because there is "no one is unnecessary" at ERC, and he insists that he is also not "asking anyone to step aside". The ERC leader emphasizes that the text only asks that the ERC party congress in November "start from consensual, transparent and democratic bases where everyone feels represented, because we want to talk about projects and not names".
Junqueras, towards November 30th
After announcing that he was resigning, Junqueras confirmed his intention to run for re-election in the November 30th congress. He is now looking for "the renewed endorsement" of the Republican base, he is not giving up "anything", and he is taking it for granted that he will run for re-election to preside over ERC. His resignation is therefore only temporary, because he is "willing" to help the party "as much as possible". If he believes he has an "explicit and renewed endorsement" of the membership, Junqueras will stand for re-election at the National Congress on November 30th.