Puigdemont resigns to be a candidate for the Generalitat but will be on the Junts lists

A woman takes a photo during a demonstration, in which she displays a sticker of former president Carles PuigdemontAlejandro Garcia / EFE

Carles Puigdemont will not be the Junts per Catalunya candidate to preside over the Generalitat, although he will choose to have a place on one of the training lists for the next Catalan elections.

This has been explained by the

identity fled from justice and MEP in a video that he published on his social networks this Wednesday afternoon.

The also president of the party thus puts an end to the unknown about his role and leaves the way clear for the deputy in Congress, Laura Borràs, and the Minister of Territory, Damià Calvet, compete for who will be the

of the formation in the first phase of the primaries.

“The Spanish repression will not let me be the president of the Generalitat, but I will not resign to lead the project.

I will be in the candidacy, "said Puigdemont in the video, which has defended that" the thread of October 1 be resumed. "

"Junts has to find a candidate who can occupy the presidency, accompanied by a team that will have my full support," said the

who has taken the opportunity to charge against the fact that the Pedro Sánchez government has not proposed an amnesty for the politicians in prison.

The deadline to present candidates ends this at midnight.

For now, the deputy in Congress, Laura Borràs, and the Regional Minister of Territory, Damià Calvet, have formalized their candidacies.

They will have to get 100 endorsements among the affiliates and the vote will take place the last weekend of November.

Both had assured that they would leave the race if Puigdemont took the step, but it has not been like that.

• The Junts primaries will be a double ballot box to elect presidential and starting positions

• Torrent points to February 14 to celebrate the Catalan elections

Both had already expressed their intention to participate in the primaries.

Calvet had even made the reservation that, if Puigdemont ended up presenting himself, he would withdraw his name to join the candidacy of the also president of the Junts.

The counselor has published this Wednesday on Twitter a campaign capture in which the form to participate in the primaries is seen.

Borràs, for his part, has tweeted a video in which he insists on the "inalterability" of the commitment to the

and asks the militants to "adhere to a project based on the strength of the people who have not given up on obtaining the independence of our country ”.

Deciding is partit: I present to the # primàries of @JuntsXCat.

If the president @KRLS formalizes the second candidacy, I will add myself and I will be the meva.

Continue the camí, ens hi companions?

pic.twitter.com/0s2sNWmgEQ

- Damià Calvet🎗 (@damiacalvet) November 9, 2020

The party launched its primaries last weekend, after the militancy approved a system with two ballot boxes.

In the first, the candidate to preside over the Generalitat was chosen, which is also the headliner for Barcelona.

In the second ballot box, the starting positions of each demarcation are chosen and those who are defeated in the first process can also participate.

The names of the candidates for that second election will not be known until the presidential election is proclaimed, on November 29.

Puigdemont's decision has many edges.

Among other things because the polls at the moment put ERC at the head in the intention to vote.

However, Junts has been gaining ground and the candidacy of the now MEP could have given him the verve he needs for the

.

In any event, Puigdemont risked putting his story as a "legitimate president in exile" at stake.

Anything other than winning would be a bad result for him.

The candidate of the Republicans, who are also in their primary process, is the

acting

Pere Aragonès.

The next elections will not only define the future of the independence movement, between the way of confrontation proposed by Junts and the more possibilist approach of ERC, but also of political hegemony in Catalonia.

Hence, both formations put all the meat on the grill.

Republicans play with the idea of ​​who is elected will be the president, while in Junts they insist that they will not "play the game of repression."

Borràs has shown to have charisma and great support among the militancy.

But she has the handicap of the investigation against her for the alleged hacking of a contract to benefit a friend, before she became Minister of Culture.

If she resigns from the seat of Congress and is elected a deputy, her case would return to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia.

Avui faig el pas and I present to the primàries as a candidate for the Generalitat for @JuntsXCat and for això us in the hand that I accompany me.

That I love you, that you affected a project based on the force of the people who have not renounced to seek the independence of our country.

pic.twitter.com/e9mXvCWdfE

- Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) November 11, 2020

The regulation of the primaries also includes the possibility that independents choose to go to the lists. This exception seems to be tailored to Ramon Tremosa, the company advisor who took the place of Àngels Chacón, who was dismissed after continuing in the PDeCAT and not joining Junts. The former deputy is very close to Puigdemont and his time in the Government has been characterized by closely marking and often criticizing Aragonès' management in public. The role of the Junts deputy and party spokesperson, Elsa Artadi, is also to be seen, very close to Puigdemont and whose followers and detractors recognize her knowledge of the Government's machinery.