Girona faces what are presumed to be the most disputed municipal elections in its history. After the victories of Carles Puigdemont in 2011 (CiU broke 32 years of socialist government) and 2015, and that of his successor, Marta Madrenas, in 2019, with the sovereignist process dominating the political debate, the scenario appears more open never. Four parties, Junts, ERC, PSC and Guanyem, see themselves with real chances of winning the elections and leading a mandate in which the future Trueta hospital will begin to be drawn, which will be located largely on Salt land. The next four years should also serve to address the evolution of the tourism model (tourist apartments, access to the Barri Vell, massification...). The renovation of the Casa Pastors in progress and its conversion into the future Museu d'Art Contemporani and the old promise to pedestrianize Plaza Catalunya are going to be other axes of the debate of the only Catalan mayor's office of Junts. Since 2020, in coalition with ERC.
After Marta Madrenas' no to head the Junts list and the subsequent resignation of the candidate chosen in a primary process, Assumpció Puig, due to internal discrepancies, is Gemma Geis, former Universitats minister, who takes the lead of the renewed candidacy de Junts, with only two members of the Madrenas team. She marks a certain distance from her predecessor on issues such as the management of the urban area. "Leading it means being generous and understanding that you have to act in a network," says Geis, who among the problems to solve stands out the improvement of mobility with the metropolitan area, the promotion of civic and sports facilities, and the reinforcement of security policies , increasing the number of agents and improving lighting. Bet on the creation of a municipal tourism board and "for not putting all the eggs in the basket of tourism", promoting other sectors such as biomedical that will arise in the surroundings of the new Trueta hospital. The creation of a department of Emotional Well-being is another of her proposals.
Guanyem, second force in the past elections, also aspires to lead the city. The formation, made up of social and neighborhood entities and parties such as the CUP, has broadened its base and, among others, has achieved the support of the former socialist mayor Anna Pagans. The candidate Lluc Salellas is critical of the government action. "It is in the doldrums, without a clear direction or a proposal for the future." Among the main problems in the city, he lists the lack of public housing and puffs up the four million euros that the municipal government has invested in this mandate for social housing. Beyond the pacification of Plaza Catalunya, he proposes pedestrianizing one axis of each neighborhood and diversifying the economy beyond tourism, investing in research, commerce, industry or agriculture.
Sílvia Paneque, from the PSC, is the candidate who has been in the Consistory for the longest time. She has been a councilor since 2011, in 2014 she faced the march of six of the seven mayors of her party, who disagreed with the course of the PSC. She has rearmed the party, and aspires to govern a city that was a socialist fiefdom for 32 years. "Girona is on the siding," she sums up. Among his proposals, the improvement of cleaning, the extension of the municipal police, recovering the program of safe stairs, linked to criminal occupations, expanding the center with the reform of Plaza Catalunya or "decongesting" the Barri Vell, placing a cycling pole in Domeny.
ERC, who repeats with Quim Ayats, sees with the presidency of the Generalitat a propitious political context to attempt the assault on the mayor's office. The two years as vice mayor have given him more visibility. Diversifying the economy in the field of health taking into account the future health campus, exercising an "uncomplexed leadership" of the urban area in matters of housing, culture and economy, and the connection with green spaces are some of his proposals.
In Girona, 13 candidatures are presented. Citizens, with a mayor – the other went to the non-assigned group – aspires to maintain representation and the PP, to return to the Plaza del Vi, after four years absent.
