The leader of Esquerra in Barcelona, Ernest Maragall, who announced this Monday at the age of 80 that he is leaving politics permanently, has given a warning to the president of his party, Oriol Junqueras, by pointing out that ERC needs to regenerate.
"Esquerra needs a qualitative leap, both for the government of the country and for Barcelona," said the still leader of the Republican ranks in the Catalan capital until the plenary session on December 22 in an interview in El món on RAC1 after having announced, this weekend and by surprise, that he is leaving City Hall. "I am trying to contribute to a political regeneration," insisted Maragall, who considered it "appropriate that the past does not condition the present."
Asked specifically if this message is directed at Junqueras, Maragall did not want to get involved and pointed out that "this affects Esquerra as an organization and as a very important group." And when questioned about who could replace Junqueras, he limited himself to indicating that "Esquerra has all the elements, all the capabilities, all the names, women and men, and all the qualities to make decisions about continuity, maintenance, renewal and launch." of new leadership".
"I am in a good moment to distance myself. I will continue to act as a citizen," said the president of the Esquerra municipal group, who has asserted that he is "calm" and that from now on, he will dedicate himself "to reading, thinking, enjoying and say all the barbarities that are convenient."
"It is time to start having the courage to face the reforms that for too many years we have not been able to address, such as, for example, the institutional map of this country," added Maragall, who explained that he is leaving because he considers that The country, and also the city, are at a turning point: "Everything has changed. There have been the municipal elections, which sent strong messages, and the Spanish elections, with the message they gave to the Catalan parties. We have changed stages. ".
To illustrate this change of stage, Maragall gives an illuminating example: "I came to Esquerra the same day that Marta Rovira went into exile and I will leave the councilor seat when the amnesty law is approved. This shows the change of period."
The name he plans to replace Maragall at the head of the Esquerra municipal group in Barcelona is Elisenda Alamany, but he did not want to get involved in who should take over: "I should not have an opinion or decision on the matter," he admitted to adding that "it is obvious that Alamany's name is on the table, but we are in a new stage."
