Barcelona, February 20 – Gerardo Pisarello has emerged victorious in the Barcelona en Comú (BComú) primaries, securing his position as the party’s candidate for Mayor of Barcelona in the upcoming 2027 municipal elections. Pisarello, who currently serves as the First Secretary of the Congress Bureau, garnered a significant 68.6% of the votes, while his contender, Bob Pop, received 27%.
Pisarello, the Officialist Candidate, Takes the Reins from Colau
Pisarello’s win was widely anticipated, given his strong backing from current Mayor Ada Colau and her inner circle. He previously served as the First Deputy Mayor during Colau’s first term, acting as her second-in-command. This victory positions him to take over from Ada Colau, who led the city from 2015 to 2023.
In contrast, Bob Pop, a well-known showman, entered the internal elections as an outsider, with limited chances of overcoming the party’s establishment. The final voting results confirmed this, with Pisarello’s victory demonstrating the party’s internal alignment.
Voting Details and Low Turnout
After two days of voting, BComú announced that Pisarello and his running mate, Carol Recio, received 1,046 votes. Bob Pop and his running mate, Mar Trallero, secured 412 votes, with an additional 67 blank votes, accounting for 4.4% of the total. In total, 1,525 votes were cast out of approximately 9,000 eligible voters, resulting in a participation rate of around 17%. This low turnout highlights the challenges of internal party democracy.
This marks the first primary process for Barcelona en Comú since its inception over a decade ago, following the 15-M movement. In the three previous municipal elections, Ada Colau was consistently the lead candidate.
Strong Party Support for Pisarello
Pisarello’s candidacy was the official party choice, enjoying the support of the majority of the leadership. The party leadership learned of Bob Pop’s intention to run for mayor through the media, underscoring his outsider status.
At the launch of his campaign, Pisarello was flanked by prominent figures including Mayor Colau, Minister Ernest Urtasun, and MEP Jaume Asens, alongside other key public officials from the Comuns’ political sphere.
Carol Recio: A Strategic Choice for the Periphery
Carol Recio, the winning ticket’s number two, is already a city councilor in Barcelona. She proudly emphasizes her roots in La Prosperitat, a neighborhood in the Nou Barris district, known as the poorest area of Barcelona. This profile is seen as a strategic asset by Barcelona en Comú, aiming to attract votes from the periphery, which historically leans towards socialist candidates. In her initial bid for Mayor, Colau swept the Nou Barris district, but this area of the Catalan capital later favored the socialist candidate, Jaume Collboni, in the 2023 elections, propelling him to the Mayor’s office.
Pisarello’s victory sets the stage for a significant municipal election in 2027, as he prepares to lead BComú’s campaign to retain control of Barcelona’s city hall. The low participation rate in the primaries, however, may indicate a need for greater internal engagement within the party as it looks toward the future.
Source: https://www.elmundo.es/cataluna/2026/02/20/69982236e4d4d875648b45a4.html
