Overview
- Rius, a Junts vice president and close ally of Carles Puigdemont, disclosed Monday in a letter that he is stepping aside to avoid a primary that many in the party saw as a proxy clash between Puigdemont and Xavier Trias camps.
- Jordi Martí, who leads Junts in the Barcelona city council, announced last week that he would run and press for party primaries if needed.
- Junts plans a municipal gathering on May 30 in Vilafranca del Penedès to jump-start its 2027 campaign and showcase candidates for key cities.
- Party leaders spent the past year courting high-profile figures, including Joaquim Forn, Artur Mas, and Tatxo Benet, but each declined to run.
- Junts won more than 300 mayoralties in 2023 yet holds none of Catalonia’s four provincial capitals, making Barcelona a central test in 2027.