Barcelona's right-wing political landscape faces a significant shake-up ahead of the 2027 municipal elections. Three parties that competed in 2023 will not present candidacies, while a new entrant, Aliança Catalana, prepares its first campaign in the city.

Shifting Political Dynamics

Valents, Ciutadans, and Barcelona Ets Tu, all of which ran in the 2023 municipal elections, will not contest the upcoming ballot. Valents and Barcelona Ets Tu have dissolved. Ciutadans, while still legally existing, will most likely not participate, according to party sources in Catalonia. This shift creates a new dynamic for conservative voters in Barcelona.

Aliança Catalana's entry into the capital's electoral arena will change the ideological spectrum, particularly impacting Junts per Barcelona, analysts suggest. The People's Party (PP) and Vox will present lists, according to 2023 Barcelona municipal election results. Daniel Sirera is a possible candidate for the PP, while Vox is yet to choose its mayoral candidate.

Valents Dissolves After 2023 Defeat

Eva Parera led Valents, a party that dissolved in July 2023 and entered a creditor's voluntary arrangement. Parera served as a Barcelona City Council councillor from 2019 to 2023, according to Official 2023 Barcelona election results. She initially entered the council as part of the Barcelona pel Canvi-Ciutadans coalition.

Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls led this coalition, which secured six councillors in the May 2019 elections. Valls, Parera, and Celestino Corbacho supported Ada Colau's investiture as mayor. This move aimed to prevent independentist candidate Ernest Maragall, who had won the elections, from taking office, according to Vox political party in Spain. Following the investiture, the electoral coalition divided into two municipal groups.

Two councillors remained under the Barcelona pel Canvi banner, and four represented Ciutadans. Valls served only two years as an opposition councillor. He announced his departure in late May 2021, citing a discreet presence and several absences from commissions and plenary sessions. Òscar Benítez replaced Valls as a councillor for Barcelona pel Canvi.

Parera renamed the party Valents to contest the 2023 elections after Valls' departure. Valents adopted a discourse inspired by Trumpism, focusing on the issue of squatting. The party secured 15,407 votes, representing 2.31% of the total. This fell well short of the 5% threshold required to gain representation in the municipal plenary. Eva Parera has since left politics and does not intend to return, she confirmed to TOT Barcelona.

Ciutadans Faces Uncertain Future

Ciutadans held municipal representation in Barcelona for two terms, from 2015 to 2019 and 2019 to 2023. In 2015, the party's candidacy, led by Carina Mejías, secured 77,272 votes. This amounted to 11.01% of the total votes and five councillors. Mejías, a former member of the PP, now serves as a Member of Parliament for Vox in the Congress of Deputies.

Ciutadans experienced growth across Catalonia and Spain during those years. In December 2017, during the height of the independence process, Inés Arrimadas led the party to victory in the Catalan elections. Four years later, in 2019, Ciutadans integrated into Valls' candidacy. Albert Rivera, then president of Ciutadans, played a key role in Valls' decision to run in Barcelona.

Luz Guilarte was the second name on the list. She became president of the Ciutadans municipal group after the coalition's groups separated. The party faced several internal crises within the City Council during the last term. Marilén Barceló left to become a non-attached councillor, working with Valents. Guilarte herself also departed, despite being considered the mayoral candidate for 2023.

Journalist Anna Grau ultimately became the mayoral candidate three years ago, amidst the party's decline. Like Valents, Ciutadans failed to secure a seat in the plenary. They received 7,234 votes, 1.09% of the total. Ciutadans still legally exists, however, party sources in Catalonia explain it is "very difficult" for them to run in the municipal elections. "They will either not run or run symbolically, hanging a tweet and not spending a cent," sources close to the party indicated. Ciutadans will hold a municipalist convention on 13 June, with a decision on Barcelona expected shortly after.

Barcelona Ets Tu Withdraws

Daniel Vosseler's party, Barcelona Ets Tu, also dissolved last January. Vosseler will not run for mayor again, communication sources from his office confirmed. In 2023, Vosseler ran for the municipal elections for the first and only time. He secured 7,196 votes, representing 1.08% of the total. This was a notable figure, especially as the party could not participate in debates due to its lack of council representation.

Previously, Vosseler attempted to run in 2019 with the Barcelona Com Tu platform. He failed to gather the 8,000 signatures required for an electoral group, collecting only around 7,100. Vosseler has now left local politics. He leads the Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Professionals (CEPA). CEPA has called for a demonstration in Barcelona on 31 May to advocate for the dignity of self-employed individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises. The confederation also aims to promote business activism and new legislation.

Looking Ahead to 2027

The upcoming 2027 municipal elections will therefore present a significantly altered landscape for Barcelona's right-wing voters. The departure of established parties and the arrival of new contenders like Aliança Catalana will reshape the electoral competition. This will likely lead to new alliances and strategies as parties vie for influence in the city council.

Come and join our Barcelona English Speakers community on WhatsApp.

Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.