The national directorate of Ciudadanos has confirmed that the councilor of the Barcelona City Council Paco Sierra has registered a letter in the Consistory with which "he intends to proclaim himself president and thus change the configuration of the group".
A statement issued today by the municipal group indicates that as a result of this operation "carried out behind the back" of the Ciudadanos leadership, "and after learning that Sierra has tried to join the electoral lists of other formations for the next municipal elections of 2023”, the party leadership has decided to start the process of expelling Paco Sierra.
The statement adds that the orange executive regrets the forms promoted by Sierra and "his lack of commitment to the party." In addition, the management "reiterates its confidence in the current president and mayor, Luz Guilarte, to continue leading the Cs project in Barcelona and to continue working tirelessly for the general interest of the people of Barcelona".
This new division in the weakened Ciudadanos group in Barcelona City Council comes shortly after the former mayor of l'Hospitalet de Llobregat and former socialist minister Celestino Corbacho left the group and was replaced by Noemí Martín.
Ciudadanos participated in the 2019 municipal elections led by the former French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. The candidacy obtained six councillors, but the group broke up when Valls decided to support Ada Colau as mayor to prevent the independentist Ernest Maragall, winner of the elections, from establishing himself as the new mayor.
In the group of Citizens there were then 4 councillors. Later, the mayor Marilén Barceló also separated from the group to become a non-attached councilor, although in practice she develops her activity in the City Council in coordination with the president of the Valents group, Eva Parera.
