The membership of the pro-independence Together for Catalonia (Junts) party has supported, by a margin of nearly 56% to 42%, the proposition of leaving the Catalan coaliton government with Catalan Republican Left (ERC), and the president of Junts, Laura Borràs, the leading standard-bearer for the 'leave' option, has given a voice to it this evening. Borràs made it clear in her speech that the result that has emerged from the Junts vote marked a reorganization of the party's internal balance. "Junts wins, Aragonès loses", she said to sum up the result. The president of the party warned that Junts will from now on lead a "firm opposition" and set to work: she affirmed that the ERC-led government under Pere Aragonès had "failed and lost its democratic legitimacy". Her discourse was followed by words from the general secretary, Jordi Turull, who reiterated her reproaches to ERC and guaranteed internal unity within Junts. Borràs noted, after these statements, that the party executive meeting had ended with applause.
Borràs and Turull appeared in a press conference after the party's executive met to analyze the results of the consultation with the membership. 55.73% of Junts members voted in favour of leaving the Pere Aragonès government. 79.18% of the 6,565 Junts rank and file members participated. 42.39% voted in favour of continuing in the Government and 1.88% cast blank votes.
The Junts ministers have already, this afternoon, sent their resignations to the president, Pere Aragonès, after the result of the consultation became known, as explained by Turull himself, who also revealed that the party's likely Barcelona mayoral candidate Xavier Trias sent him a message guaranteeing his support. After the intense debate that the party has experienced, the general secretary assured that everyone has accepted the result. However, when asked about his vote, he refused to reveal it, quipping that "it would be too easy". "I feel general secretary of 100% of the party," he said.
"Junts crosses over to the opposition, to oppose in a firm and responsible manner", warned Borràs, who insisted that Junts is a party "with a vocation for Government", but also a party with its "word", and "when agreements are not fulfilled it acts responsibly". From there she accused the Pere Aragonès government of having failed and of having "lost democratic legitimacy" and of prioritizing agreements with the Spanish Socialists before the proposal for Catalan independence.