ERC names Junqueras as candidate for Europe

Oriol Junqueras was named yesterday as the candidate for ERC in the coming European elections. At the same time, Deputy Secretary of Communications, Sergi Sabrià, also confirmed the party’s previous stance of not joining other pro-independence parties in united candidatures. Junqueras’ nomination was validated by more than 2,000 party affiliates and the final step of the party executive confirming the nomination will take place in November.

Shortly before the announcement, the coordinator of the conservative JxCAT coalition Elsa Artadi, said on RAC1 that her group would welcome the idea of Junqueras leading a unitary list in Europe with the Republicans. ERC, however, closed the door to this possibility because the party believes that “many more votes can be won on separate tickets.” Sabria continued saying that: “we need to continue to respect each other’s spaces and not be forced to join other groups.”

From Madrid, the MEP Josep M. Terricabras of the Republican left said that he was happy to leave the decision in the party’s hands as to which formula should be used to create the candidature for the European Parliament, but indicated that if the party decided to go with JxCat, it would also have to integrate Bildu, the BNG and, even the CUP.