The strange campaign of Artur Mas in Junts per Catalunya

The political space that once filled in Catalonia Convergència i Unió has this Sunday its particular duel at the polls. This campaign, Junts (in coalition with Democrates) and PDeCAT-Espai CiU have fought for the sovereigntist vote, the ones to ensure the sorpasso to Esquerra Republicana; the others, to ensure survival as a political party. In a convergent order of ideas, the figure of former president Artur Mas becomes key to decant undecided. But the former leader of CDC has already chosen days ago: his PDeCAT card has not prevented him from opting in public for the Junts candidacy headed by Míriam Nogueras.

The official unmarking came on June 29. Mas charged against the decision of his party to attend the 23-J in a list where there are independents such as the head of the list for Barcelona, the former Unió Roger Montañola. "It does not make much sense to divide a space that, every time it has happened in recent times, has been shown to lead absolutely nowhere," he argued. The candidate replied quickly: "If some citizens of Catalonia, even those who are already out of politics want to do politics like the CUP, I respect that. But it's not our model."

But Mas has gone beyond opinion. Last Wednesday, he shared a colloquium with Nogueras in an act with businessmen. "If I were a Madrilenian or an Andalusian I could only choose between right or left, between PP or PSOE, or maybe between Sumar and Vox. In Catalonia we have to choose an option that defends the interests of the country where they are, before whoever." Junts denies any possibility of a pact while the PDeCAT even opens up to agreements with Alberto Núñez Feijóo if Vox is not involved.

Sunday's elections revive a pending dispute in the convergents. The electoral repetition of the 2019 general elections implied the last act of unity imposed within the PDeCAT. By then, the party was divided between those who defended giving full control to former president Carles Puigdemont or those who called for a return to the pragmatic path of the formation that in 2016 had been founded on the ashes of Convergència. The list that attended these elections intertwined both souls and obtained eight seats. In the same group, Laura Borràs' commitment to relentless confrontation coexisted with Ferran Bel's spirit of pact.

In July of the following year, when finally the former president already in rebellion in Brussels decided to set up his own party, the parliamentary group was divided into two: Junts and PDeCAT. Mas was always against the split of the direct heir of Convergència and, in order to send a message of unity, he maintained his affiliation, as did the former mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, until last October. "I do not want to end my political career endorsing a separation," Mas himself said at a press conference when he announced that he would not go to Junts.

Then, in 2021, he supported the candidacy of Àngels Chacón for the presidency of the Generalitat in the regional elections although, later, he distanced himself from the former minister when he wanted to lead another space, Centrem. Some decisions and public appearances that alternated, behind the scenes, with negotiations with the leadership of Junts, with some visit to Waterloo included. In their environment they accept that the former president continues to feel "a responsibility" to remake the unity of the convergent space and thus explain their measures interventions that, remember, always seek "to add all the space".

In this idea is inscribed his decision to participate in the campaign of the last municipal elections, that is, always supporting lists that were the result of the coalition between Junts and PDeCAT. Barcelona, with Xavier Trias in the poster, or Vilassar de Mar (Barcelona) are two examples. The lack of agreement to go to a joint list to the generals did not go down well with the former president who, this time, has been clearer in opting for Junts. "He does it now because the PDeCAT ends on Monday," says a sarcastic authoritative voice of Junts.

The list led by Montañola has little chance of achieving representation on Sunday and, if it does, Mas would surely have to be in the position of consummating his bet on Junts that, despite the failure of the operation to reconquer the mayor of Barcelona with a more pragmatic proposal, wants to open a reflection on his political future. It does raise more doubts about the political future of the former president. Like Trias, Mas has repeatedly denied that his desire is to return to the front line, after being disabled by the celebration of 9-N. "Like Trias, I feel a victim of that State that allows there to be a parallel State that tries to destroy people, families and ideas. And that challenges me, but not to the point of returning to the front line of the political scene, "he said in an interview with this newspaper last year. The question is whether La Moncloa, with the support of the extreme right, would change its color.

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