The morning after an epic victory in the Barcelona municipal election, Xavier Trias, has extended his hand to the Republican Left (ERC) and the Catalan Socialists (PSC) to take part in governing the Catalan capital. He has insisted on the need for "formulas of understanding and negotiation" to carry through the political change which has been his catchcry during the campaign. In addition to proclaiming himself the winner of the Barcelona election, Trias stated that his victory "was what was foreseen", even though that means that now it is necessary "to reach sufficient agreement in order to govern". Xavier Trias expresses his firm assurance that he will be mayor of Barcelona, even though he has acknowledged that "it is the winner who has to take the initiative to sit down with people to see if he is capable of governing". Meanwhile, the Catalan Socialists have repeated their election night message that they "won't rule out" other pact options that are mathematically possible, while ERC's Ernest Maragall, fourth placed in the election, suggests that the ball is in the court of the election winner.
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Speaking to radio progamme El Món a RAC1, Trias stated that he is convinced that the second place getter in the mayoral race, the Socialist candidate Jaume Collboni, will not try to do a deal with Ada Colau's Comuns and Ernest Maragall's ERC candidature to shut him out of the Barcelona mayoralty. Regarding a possible pact with Ernest Maragall, he explained that they spoke to each other on Sunday night after the results became known and agreed to start talking from now on. On RAC1 this morning, Trias also once again recalled that four years ago Maragall was the victim of "a very dirty trick. They blocked him from being mayor in a shameful way, the Valls operation, which everyone regrets greatly". Thus, he said that he trusts that all parties will agree that the list with the most votes should govern. The Junts list leader hints that we wants to forge a strong government with "formulas of power" with both Socialists and Republicans and he expressed his desire to have Maragall "close by". Asked about governing alone in Barcelona, he replied: "Everything is possible, I governed with 14 councillors," in reference to his previous mayoral term. However, he reiterated his desire to make "change" possible in Barcelona.
Different nuances from PSC and ERC
Nevertheless, there are different nuances from the Socialists and Republicans on the routes to forming a new city government. PSC leader Salvador Illa suggested this Monday morning that Jaume Collboni's second place should not be an impediment for the Socialist candidate to be the new mayor of Barcelona. "Nothing can be ruled out", said Illa, not even Collboni being mayor in coalition with other parties. Words uttered the day after the elections that contrast drastically those from during the campaign, when the former deputy mayor Collboni assured that if he did not win the elections, he would go to the opposition. Illa has given Collboni "a lot of room to manoeuvre" to achieve a "progressive and stable government" in the capital, and stresses that with the Sunday's results no party can govern alone.
On the other hand, Republican Left candidate Maragall, the necessary third party in any progressive alliance in the Barcelona council, did not hint at any desire to wrest victory from the hands of Junts, but quite the opposite. "We must respect the majority will of the citizens", he said. "As the winning candidate, it is up to Trias to broach the matter". The Republican showed himself ready to enter into talks, "with Trias especially", over the coming days and weeks. Maragall expects the ex-mayor to outline his city project if he wants to get the support of the five ERC councillors. "Our 'yes' will depend on the content of the talks," he revealed. "It's clear that there's not only a personal and cross-party relationship, but there's also a relationship of commitments that are on the table for the city."
Thus, Maragall preferred to distance himself from a hypothetical alternative alliance that would allow Jaume Collboni to reach the mayor's office. He has warned that moving from arithmetic to political reality "requires a point of responsibility and serenity, and not haste and frivolity". Maragall pointed out that the current coalition government in Barcelona was characterized by constant partisan bickering, and that now the city needs "a stable and strong government". And he, like Trias, also brought up the experience of the last investiture of Colau, who despite not being the most voted candidate won the mayoralty over Maragall. "I remember what it was like four years ago, and I won't do the same," he concluded.
Later today, Catalan Republican Left president Oriol Junqueras suggested even more forcefully that the party's commitment in Barcelona will be for the pro-independence Trias. ERC, he said, has "no interest or desire" in facilitating an investiture of Jaume Collboni or proposing a left-wing tripartite in the capital of Catalonia. On the other hand, Junqueras also raised doubts about whether Xavier Trias wants to reach agreements with the Socialists or not.