ERC has closed agreements with Compromís and Ara Més to run jointly in the lists of the Comunidad Valenciana and Balearic Islands in the general elections on November 29, in candidacies in which Frente Amplio and Podemos also participate, references of the space of the state alternative left.
In a press conference held this Monday, the deputy secretary general of ERC, Oriol López, and the deputy secretary of Communication and spokesperson for the party, Isaac Albert, emphasized that the republican formation will be electorally present in "the Països Catalans".
In the Comunidad Valenciana, ERC is integrated into a confluence with Compromís, Podemos, and IU, in which the republicans will have 5 representatives on the lists: 2 for the Valencia constituency, 2 for Alicante, and number 2 on the Castellón candidacy.
In the Balearic Islands, the president of ERC in the islands, Carme Gomilla, will head the Ara Més list, which maintains a coalition in the archipelago with Frente Amplio and which this Sunday decided to incorporate members of Podemos into the candidacy as independents. López emphasized that, with this formula, ERC could obtain a seat in a constituency outside of Catalonia, something that had not been "seen since the 30s".
The republican leader has announced that two campaign events will be held in the Comunidad Valenciana and in the Balearic Islands, in which, "as far as possible," the head of the ERC list for Congress, Gabriel Rufián, will participate.
Regarding the future configuration of the parliamentary groups, López explained that each deputy elected on the lists of Compromís and Ara Més will decide after the elections which group they want to join. He also specified that the independent from Podemos who runs as number 6 of ERC for Barcelona, Alejandra Sandoval, will integrate into the republican group.
It is noteworthy that, outside of Catalonia, ERC will compete electorally with Frente Amplio, while in the Comunidad Valenciana and in the Balearic Islands they will share candidacy in these territories.
Candidate to preside over the Generalitat
Regarding Rufián's statements at the presentation of his book, when he stated that his political aspiration was to become president of the Generalitat after Junqueras, Albert responded that ERC's priority is "to ensure that Junqueras is president," recalling that until a few days ago that was not possible because he was still disqualified and the amnesty had not yet been applied to him.
Albert has also rejected that, after the application of the amnesty to the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, the party is going to pressure to force an early election in Catalonia. He has insisted that the republicans are committed to exhausting the legislature and continuing to work so that Junqueras "is the next president" of the Govern.