In Ripoll, a Catalan town of about 11,000 people, Sílvia Orriols has helped make far-right language more accepted since she became mayor for Aliança Catalana on 17 June 2023. The change has been especially stark in a town still shaped by the trauma of the 2017 Rambla attacks.
What was once a taboo subject is now spoken about more openly in daily life, from work and the market to bars and local meetings. One young resident, Eduard, said people now feel less fear about saying what they think, and that xenophobic comments are made more freely. Others, including some who do not openly say they voted for Orriols, say they respect her message and avoid calling her far-right.
The town has become a key reference point in Catalan politics, with the rise of Aliança Catalana drawing attention well beyond Ripoll. The party has grown steadily since Orriols' election, and the local shift now affects how national party leaders respond. For background on the wider political context, see our Community coverage.
At the same time, the article says official Mossos d'Esquadra data does not show alarming crime levels in the municipality, with Ripoll's crime rate below the average for other areas. Even so, security remains a major talking point, and the town hall's official channels regularly share news about evictions and arrests of foreign nationals. The mayor also often appears in photos with the Local Police.
Ripoll's social fabric has become more divided. The Islamic community takes part less in popular town events, while many native residents show little interest in Moroccan restaurants, mosque rituals or Ramadan celebrations. Groups such as the Plataforma Antifeixista del Ripollès continue to organise workshops, courses, tastings and talks to build links between residents, and the town does not have separate ghettos, with the immigrant population making up less than 16% of inhabitants.
Opposition to Orriols still exists, but it has weakened. The article says eight of the eleven opposition councillors have resigned or will resign by the end of the term, while the two most recent socialist councillors were forced out by their party after backing Orriols' budget. For more on local political coverage, readers can also follow our Sport tag for other community-facing reporting across the site.
Originally published by Ara Cat. Read original article.
