Barcelona is heading towards a Government between the PSC and Junts, but Colau presses for a left-wing pact

Six months have passed since the municipal elections and the mayor of Barcelona continues to govern in a clear minority: 10 councilors out of 41. Jaume Collboni was invested in June at the last second with the votes of the commons of his former partner and former mayor Ada Colau, and the of the PP. They both wanted to prevent Xavier Trias from being mayor: the commons so that the right would not dismantle their government work; and the PP to avoid a pro-independence mayor. Aware of the difficulty of governing the Catalan capital with so little muscle, Collboni assures that he is committed to a “progressive” government, with the commons and ERC. But the conversations are much more advanced with Junts. It is a more practical option: it is easier to govern with one partner than with two. Surprisingly, Colau revealed this Saturday that she is staying at City Hall and that on Thursday she will meet with Collboni. She thus presses for a left-wing pact, although socialist sources assure that the mayor does not want such a heavyweight in his cabinet. That he stays “removes the pact.”

The same socialist sources maintain that it is in their best interest to forge alliances with both Junts and ERC, with whom they already have an understanding in the Catalan Parliament. The two pro-independence parties are necessary for President Pedro Sánchez, who needs to share the game to move his legislature forward. The vaudeville starring Carles Puigdemont's team this week in Congress may arouse some misgivings among the socialists in the City Council, but it is not serious. “No comments,” say the socialists. “It is stressful, but it is reducible,” they maintain in Junts. Its vice president and spokesperson, Josep Rius, is one of the councilors of Barcelona, ​​although he is more focused on the party.

Meanwhile, at the City Council, until this week, negotiations have progressed with Junts. Mayor Collboni frequently sees or speaks with Xavier Trias. He negotiates with the neoconvergents with two teams (one for the government and one for the budget). And the spokesperson for the municipal group has stated that there has already been talk of charges. On the other hand, the commoners complained until this Saturday that Collboni had not spoken on WhatsApp with Colau since November. Furthermore, they do not have formal negotiators and they repeat that they will not enter the Government if it is not with ERC, adding a comfortable majority of 24 councilors. “Twenty-four or nothing,” is the mantra. This Saturday, the former mayor cleared up the mystery about her future. She stays in Barcelona. “I stay where it is most useful, whether we are in the opposition or if we enter the municipal government. “I will work for this city in whatever position,” she said without clarifying whether the “I stay” includes the entire mandate.

To date, there has been more harmony between PSC and Trias in relevant votes in the council. Junts saved the terrace ordinance with a formula that prevented them from being left without the pandemic rate bonuses that would have led to a huge increase. And they agree on the idea of ​​allowing more hotels to be opened, in unique cases, or the rental of rooms to tourists, which distances them from the commons and their political legacy. Both socialists and Junts are also committed to not extending the Superilla model of pedestrian streets (Colau's star plan) or making the rule that forces developers to allocate 30% of the apartments they build to social housing more flexible. Understand that the city's businessmen are applauding after eight years of putting their hands to their heads with Colau's policies that put a stop to hoteliers, restaurateurs and merchants. Another coincidence is about the union of the tram networks along Diagonal, now that the first phase will be launched and the second will be missing: Trias has always opposed this public transport and says no way; and Collboni maintains his yes to the union, but not now, because the city already supports several large works.

However, Trias did not hesitate to gesture and in the last plenary session of the year, he allied himself with Colau to reproach Collboni for the “paralysis” of his management. At the same time, both demanded that he enter the Government. The vote made the socialists feel very bad. A lot. To the point that the mayor's number two, Laia Bonet, accused the common people of “boycotting” the possibility of a left-wing coalition. Not to mention that after almost two terms governing together, there is more than just differences between some socialist and common councilors.

The fact that Trias and Colau are former mayors also weighs on the board: it would be unprecedented to see them integrated into the government of a third mayor. And more so in the case of Trias, who won the elections with one more councilor than Collboni. Trias, who put together his candidacy and program shielding himself from the Junts fuss, says that he wants to leave his group “organized” but he swears and perjures that he will not stay. Until this Saturday, Colau's case was a mystery. That he remains in the council makes a possible agreement difficult, the socialists insist.

Meanwhile, ERC appoints the president of the municipal group, Elisenda Alamany, after the departure of the veteran Ernest Maragall. The new leader criticizes herself about the way of opposing the last term (when all the big projects were supported by the Colau-Collboni tandem), affirms that she will “probably” remain a “clear opposition” and assures that ERC wants to establish a left-wing profile and be the protagonist.

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