Jordi Sànchez is to leave the post of general secretary of the pro-independence Together for Catalonia (Junts) party, after announcing he will not seek reappointment at the party congress to be held in June. If this departure may mark a turning point, it already seems to be evident in his discourse. "In some leaderships [within the party] we show too much vanity. And we have a deficit of group loyalty" was his reflection when interviewed on Catalan public television's morning programme. In fact, he says, the problem lies in the fact that the party, transformed from an election platform led by Carles Puigdemont into a fully-fledged party in 2020, is "young and tender", but he is also convinced that "the project is very powerful and is capable of becoming the leading political force in the country." Sànchez left several headlines, although he resisted getting into specifics. Over the issue of vanity, he didn't want to point his finger at anyone.
"I offered Quim Torra the presidency of the ANC"
He applied the same criteria when he revealed a fact which has not been public knowledge up till now: "I know why Mr Quim Torra did not become president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) when I offered [the post] to him and this is an exclusive." Asked to explain, he preferred to defer to Torra, suggesting that the former Catalan president should tell the story himself. In fact, the two have acknowledged the political discrepancies they have always had. While Sànchez was being interviewed on TV3, Torra was doing the same thing on the Aquí Cuní programme on radio station Ser Catalunya and he stated: "I have never had a relationship of empathy with Sànchez. But I did give him my full support when he was in prison, obviously."
"Torra and Costa have never been members of Junts"
For his part, Sànchez followed a similar line and did not leave out Josep Costa, former deputy speaker of the Bureau of Parliament and an MP for Junts: "On Torra and Costa, they have never been members of the Junts party. I respect opinions, but in my career, no one will ever be able to accuse me of backing a cause without doing it openly and decisively and actually putting it into practice." The still-secretary of Junts was very upset by Costa's latest tweet just after learning of his resignation: "It's good news that leaders who are on conditional release are moving away from the front line."
"Puigdemont is the only undisputed leader"
Other names that also came up were Catalan president in exile (and Junts president) Carles Puigdemont, speaker of the house Laura Borràs and Jordi Turull. He has no doubts about one of them: Carles Puigdemont. "We talk a lot and he is one of the few people who knew [about my announcement to leave the post], I would say the only one. He is very clear about his responsibility and it is up to him to say whether he stands or not. It is everyone's wish for him to continue to occupy the position it holds, it is the only absolutely indisputable leadership and we have the will to strengthen it." With regard to Borràs and Turull, he considers that they are "essential assets" and that "undoubtedly" they could lead the party after the June congress.
"I played coach"
Returning to his departure as secretary, he concludes: "I don't know if I will retire before they retire me, that's speculative. I don't think so. In the most momentous decisions, the party has been cohesive, endorsing the decisions I had taken or suggested". He added: "The most important thing is that I played as a coach, or I don't know how my figure was defined, but now, without anyone asking me, I have taken a decision because I think it is best for Junts to have that vitality and become a reference point."