In 2019, ERC beat Junts by just 10 votes difference. A tight result, which allowed the Republicans to regain the mayoralty after 80 years. Now, ERC seeks to widen that difference, undo the tie, and consolidate Marc Aloy as mayor of Manresa.
Unlike the Government, the capital of Bages has been an example of cordiality between ERC and Junts.
Both parties were already governing together and decided to share out the mayoralty: one year for Junts, with Valentí Junyent at the helm and who in 2020 ended a period of 9 years in office, and three for Marc Aloy. ERC and Junts have 8 councilors each, and have governed in coalition: the first with Valentí Junyent (Junts) as mayor, and the other three with Marc Aloy (ERC).
Now, the 'post-convergent' mess, which translates into the presentation of two lists, can put a larger victory on a tray for Aloy. Together and Impulsem will share the inheritance of the former mayor Valentí Junyent.
The PSC is the third force, with four councillors, and behind, was the CUP, with three, and Cs, which had two until May, when Miguel Cerezo left the group.
In this legislature, ERC and Junts have taken the opportunity to promote large city projects. Among them, the Fàbrica Nova, which was the largest industrial complex in the city, and one of the most important in all of Europe. At its peak, it came to employ 3,000 people in the textile sector, most of them women. But in 1989 it closed its doors and, since then, there have been many projects that have been raised without success.
Now, the Manresa City Council, together with the UPC, wants to turn the Fàbrica Nova into a "fourth generation" campus and create a pole of technological and research activity. Aloy trusts a clear victory for ERC to give it continuity. Also in other large projects such as the Anónima, located in the middle of the historic center, and which ERC wants to turn into a space for cultural creation and economic promotion.
For the next term, other important reforms are also pending, such as the burying of the railway lines in the city, which will leave new green areas around Paseo Pedro III, the nerve center of the city. Or the reforms of the most emblematic streets of the center: Guimerà street, which will be pedestrian only and without buses, and the Vic and Cardona roads.
Neighbors and merchants in the center of Manresa have denounced that there is more insecurity in the city. The City Council attributed the increase in insecurity to the migratory and economic crisis and the pressure from Barcelona, which had transferred criminals to the city. For all these reasons, he announced measures to reverse the situation, such as the installation of surveillance cameras, increased police force and social programs. In addition, Manresa will be the first city in the country to have a local police station. The works will begin in summer and will last four months.
Junts presents Ramon Bacardit as a candidate. A former Town Planning councilor during the first term of Valentí Junyent, from 2011 to 2015. Bacardit presents himself with a well-known brand, but finds himself faced with the contradiction that he must run an opposition campaign having councilors in the current municipal government. In addition, he has the 'handicap' of leading a candidacy that is officially new to the city and, therefore, does not have vested electoral rights.
The other 'post-convergent' option and who does have electoral rights is Impulsem, which presents Joan Vila as a candidate. Vila has prioritized the discourse of insecurity and incivility in his public interventions.
Both formations will share the inheritance of former mayor Valentí Junyent, who is retiring from politics and also stands out from the two candidacies that occupy his vacancy. He has not positioned himself with either one or the other.
For its part, the PSC candidate is the political scientist Anjo Valentí, who entered as a socialist councilor to replace the historic Felip González a year ago. The Socialists are looking for the gap to be able to recover a rod that they had uninterruptedly between 1995 and 2011, on horseback from the mayors Jordi Vall and Josep Camprubí.
The anti-capitalists of Fem Manresa repeat their candidate with Roser Alegre, and Ciutadans also repeats their candidate, with Andrés Rojo at the helm. They also present a candidacy for the PP, the Comuns, Vox and Front Nacional.
