Mr Junquera’s candidacy Militància Decidim win the second round in the election for Esquerra Republicana’s National Executive prior to the party’s 30th Congress

“We feel an enormous sense of responsibility, to set Esquerra Republicana at the service of our country. We shall take on the responsibility of serving Catalonia.” With these words, Esquerra Republicana’s new leader Oriol Junqueras judged the victory of the Militància Decidim ticket in the second round of Esquerra’s 30th Congress election day on Saturday.

Militància Decidim, led by Oriol Junqueras and Elisenda Alamany, won the most votes, with 3,437 votes (52.2%), while Nova Esquerra Nacional, led by Xavier Godàs and Alba Camps; obtained 2,777 votes (42.2%). 371 members returned blank ballots (5.6%). Turnout hit a record 81.98% of the membership.

In his address, Oriol Junqueras expressed his wish to “unite, to sum ever more, to build majorities as great as possible,” and sent a message to the Catalans: “We are here to assert your rights, to fight for your day-to-day needs.”
Mr Junqueras went on to say that “the time for the candidacies has passed” and stated that “There is only one party, which is Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, and there is only one country, which is Catalonia and the Catalan Countries.” In this regard, he was expressed his conviction that “all the members will contribute to mending and will work for our country.”

Elisenda Alamany highlighted that the “massive turnout” proves that “the members want to be at the heart of decision-making.” “They want Esquerra Republicana to grow into a large, open, ambitious party again. From today on, we will begin to work to put the party where it deserves,” she said.

Representatives of Nova Esquerra Nacional had appeared previously. The candidate to the presidency, Xavier Godàs, gave a “positive” assessment and defended that it is necessary to open a phase “in which progressive independentism must be of use and show the necessary rebelliousness to achieve our goals as a nation.” “We must grow the country’s national progressive space in the country, a space in which we must maintain our struggle before the [Spanish] State,” he said.

Mr Godàs assured that they will contribute to “making the party and the political space of the national left great.” In this vein, their candidate to Secretary General, Alba Camps, defended that they will be devoted to “repairing and uniting” the party. “We are Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, today, tomorrow and the day after, too.”