Junts’ Internal Battle for Barcelona Mayoral Candidacy Intensifies
Barcelona, May 15, 2026 – The selection of a candidate to contest the mayoral election in Barcelona has become a protracted saga for Junts per Catalunya. The pro-independence party, which won the last municipal elections but failed to form a government, is now grappling with an internal power struggle that its leadership had desperately tried to avoid. Jordi Martí Galbis, a protégé of the last candidate, Xavier Trias, has reiterated his desire to lead the municipal list, a decision that disrupts the plans of the Junts per Catalunya leadership, headed by Carles Puigdemont. The former Catalan president, after failed attempts to find a candidate outside the party, intended to promote Josep Rius without exposing internal divisions. Martí Galbis has informed Junts’ Secretary-General, Jordi Turull, that his bid for the mayoralty is firm.
Municipalist Conference to Address Candidacies
Junts has scheduled a municipalist conference for May 30 in Vilafranca del Penedès, aiming to kickstart its machinery for the municipal elections in May 2027. The intention was to use this event to announce the mayoral candidates for key positions. The party won over 300 mayoralties in the 2023 local elections across Catalonia’s 947 municipalities but does not govern in any of the four provincial capitals. Former councilors Gemma Geis and Violant Cervera are confirmed as the top candidates for Girona and Lleida, respectively, but the race remains open in Tarragona, and has become particularly complicated in Barcelona.
Search for an External Candidate
Junts’ inner circle, pressured by polls predicting declining results, sought a high-profile candidate who could effectively compete in the Catalan capital against the PSC list led by Jaume Collboni. Joaquim Forn was offered the leadership, and after his refusal, Carles Puigdemont himself unsuccessfully attempted to persuade businessman Tatxo Benet, a co-founder of Mediapro. Former Catalan president Artur Mas claims he also received an offer to be a mayoral candidate, and lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas has publicly expressed his interest in the position.
Martí Galbis Challenges Leadership’s Choice
After much deliberation, the Junts leadership decided to back Josep Rius, the party’s spokesperson and Carles Puigdemont’s former chief of staff during his time as president. However, Jordi Martí Galbis, a Barcelona city councilor for 15 years, has made clear his intention to fight for the candidacy. Martí Galbis, who proudly states he joined Convergència at 18, has the endorsement of Xavier Trias. Since leaving the City Council, Trias has repeatedly stated that he sees no better candidate to succeed him than his former right-hand man and campaign manager. Martí Galbis, a law graduate, was recently approached for a position in Catalonia related to a major defense sector company, but this option did not materialize.
Primaries Now a Possibility
This challenge to the leadership’s preferred candidate opens the door to a primary election process, a path Junts had wanted to avoid. While Martí Galbis has less public recognition than Rius, he is a veteran who is well-versed in the intricacies of Junts’ grassroots membership in Barcelona.
Statements from Key Figures
According to Marc Rovira, economic correspondent for EL PAÍS in Catalonia, this internal struggle reflects broader challenges within Junts. The party’s attempts to secure a strong candidate for Barcelona underscore the importance of the city in Catalonia’s political landscape.
Future Outlook
The outcome of this internal dispute will be crucial for Junts’ performance in the upcoming municipal elections. A primary election could either galvanize the party’s base or further expose its internal divisions. The municipalist conference on May 30 is expected to shed more light on the party’s strategy and potential resolutions to this candidacy dilemma.
Junts’ ability to unite behind a single candidate will be a key factor in its efforts to regain influence in Barcelona and other major Catalan cities, especially given the current political climate and the predictions of unfavorable poll results.
Source: https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2026-05-15/el-discipulo-de-trias-plantea-un-pulso-a-puigdemont-para-ser-candidato-de-junts-a-la-alcaldia-de-barcelona.html
