The pro-independence, far-right party Front Nacional de Catalunya (FNC) has officially confirmed it will field a list of candidates for the 2027 municipal elections in Manresa. This announcement signals the party’s determination to maintain its foothold in the city council, even as it navigates internal fractures and an increasingly crowded political landscape on the nationalist right.
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In a statement reported by Diari Catalunya, the party projected confidence in its electoral future in the Bages county capital. “The Front is certain to run,” the statement read. “We have two councillors and cannot fail to stand, because we have the political rights, the membership, and the capacity.” This declaration, furthermore, reaffirms the party’s intent to build on its 2023 municipal election results, when it secured two seats on the Manresa Ajuntament with 6.4% of the vote.
A Fractured Front
However, the FNC’s path to the 2027 election is complicated by a significant internal split. Sergi Perramon, who led the party’s list in 2023 and was its most prominent local figure, has since left the FNC. As reported by Nació Digital, Perramon recently launched a new political project, Avenç Nacionalista, which is expected to compete for a similar voter base.
Consequently, this division threatens to dilute the far-right independence vote in a city becoming a key battleground for this political ideology. The FNC’s internal reorganisation has, moreover, continued, with the party’s Bages and Berguedà regional grouping recently electing a new executive led by Jordi Corderroura. Yet, it remains to be seen if the party can maintain its electoral appeal without its former frontman.
The FNC, founded in 2013, shares its name with a historic anti-Franco resistance group but espouses a modern far-right, anti-immigration platform. Its platform often homes in on issues of national identity and security, a focus which has gained traction in certain areas of Catalonia. Immigration remains a key topic nationally, particularly following the Spanish government’s recent steps towards a mass migrant regularisation programme.
A Crowded Field in Manresa
The FNC is not the only party vying for the right-wing pro-independence vote in Manresa. The increasingly prominent Aliança Catalana, which gained seats in the Parliament of Catalonia in the May 2024 regional elections, has declared that governing Manresa is a “priority objective” for 2027. This, therefore, sets the stage for a three-way contest between the FNC, Perramon’s new party, and Aliança Catalana.
Meanwhile, the mainstream pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya has already confirmed that Ramon Bacardit will once again lead its list in the city. The far-right’s fragmentation could, therefore, potentially benefit more established parties by splitting their rivals’ votes. This dynamic is being watched closely across the region, as similar movements gain ground elsewhere, such as in Northern Catalonia, where Perpignan’s far-right mayor has consolidated his power.
The FNC’s early declaration to run underscores the high stakes in Manresa. Parties are expected to campaign on a mix of broad ideological issues and pressing local concerns, from public security to housing-a topic that recently came to a head when a contentious Manresa eviction was suspended after mass protests. The announcement also arrives during a period of transformation for the wider Catalan independence movement, which is still processing the impact of Spain’s amnesty law, a policy that Socialist leader Salvador Illa recently argued has been vindicated. As the 2027 municipal elections draw closer, Manresa is shaping up to be a crucial test of the strength and coherence of Catalonia’s nationalist right.
