> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ERC and Junts honour Companys amid election tensions - URL: https://barna.news/erc-and-junts-honour-companys-amid/ - Published: 2026-10-15T08:46:31.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T08:47:29.000Z - Description: Political parties pay tribute to executed Catalan president Lluís Companys as pre-election rhetoric intensifies. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: politics, Catalonia ## Commemoration marks 86 years since execution At 06:00 on Thursday 15 October 2026, Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) began its annual torchlight procession to honour Lluís Companys, president of the Generalitat executed by the Francoist regime at Montjuïc Castle on this day in 1940\. The tribute took place at the Santa Eulàlia moat, where Companys was shot, with ERC laying a floral offering at the exact time of his death. The act is held annually to remember his execution following a summary military trial, as confirmed in official Generalitat records from October 1940. ## ERC affirms anti-fascist legacy ahead of elections Elisenda Alamany, ERC’s Secretary General, delivered a speech linking Companys’ legacy to current political struggles. She described him as an "anti-fascist" figure whose values remain vital "in the months to come". > We are the strongest national left, which accepts no lessons from anyone. And this is how we will present ourselves in the Spanish elections. It is our turn to be the voice and the strength of our people, Alamany accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of calling elections out of "electoral opportunism" and failing to uphold commitments to Catalonia. She argued that national ambition is inseparable from social justice. > If you don't build the country, if you don't have national ambition, it is the working class that suffers, which will not have family doctors, quality public schools, its own economic model, or decent wages. She criticised those who prioritise national identity over social progress, warning that Companys’ legacy "cannot be placed in just anyone's hands." ## Junts renews commitment to independence Jordi Turull, Secretary General of Junts, also attended the homage, stating the party had come to "renew Companys’ promise" of putting "the country and commitment before electoral interests." Turull framed the event as an "act of persistence" against what he described as the Spanish state’s ongoing attempts to suppress national sentiment. Without naming parties, he criticised a proposed electoral alliance between ERC and Podemos. > To defend Catalonia, only Catalans are here. He referenced the recent parliamentary controversy involving Aliança Catalana, which in September 2026 voted in favour of lifting a sanction against a Vox deputy who called Companys an "assassin." The move drew criticism from left-wing parties and prompted internal corrections. Sílvia Orriols, president of Aliança Catalana, later clarified that the vote had been a mistake, following public backlash and condemnation from groups like the CUP. --- ## Legacy invoked amid rising far-right influence The homage occurs against a backdrop of growing far-right presence in Catalan politics. Turull condemned any alignment with parties he sees as heirs to Francoism, stating: "We see that some are flirting with the heirs of those who arrested and handed over President Companys, who was murdered." Companys, who led Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War, went into exile in 1939\. He was captured by Nazi forces in France in August 1940 and handed over to Franco’s regime. He was tried by a military tribunal and executed on 15 October 1940, as documented in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya. His legacy remains central to Catalan republican identity, with both ERC and Junts invoking his memory as they position themselves ahead of upcoming national elections. --- *Primary sources:* [*revistes.eapc.gencat.cat*](https://revistes.eapc.gencat.cat/index.php/rld/article/download/4523/5809/13532?ref=barna.news)*,* [*Generalitat de Catalunya*](https://dogc.gencat.cat/.content/Publicacions/PDF%5FCompanys/01%5F02%5FPrimeres%5FSumari.pdf?ref=barna.news)*,* [*dogc.gencat.cat*](https://dogc.gencat.cat/es/publicacions-de-la-generalitat-de-catalunya/Consell-Guerra-Companys/index.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*govern.cat*](https://govern.cat/govern/docs/2024/06/04/15/27/5883ad4a-dc54-4e7c-9cd3-d5661bc9f547.pdf?ref=barna.news)*,* [*lamoncloa.gob.es*](https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/presidente/actividades/paginas/2024/240524-sanchez-clausura-reunion-cercle-economia.aspx?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by 3cat.cat, parlament.cat, diaripublic.cat, ara.cat, ca.wikipedia.org, EP, espaicompanys.cat, eldiario.es, rac1.cat, 3CatInfo Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Junts rules out backing Sánchez after 29 November vote](https://barna.news/junts-rules-out-backing-sanchez-after-29-november-vote/) - [Aliança Catalana Rise Reshapes Parliament Forecasts](https://barna.news/alianca-catalana-rise-reshapes/) - [Catalan Parties Agree on Democratic Memory Law](https://barna.news/catalan-parties-agree-on-democratic/) - [Spain general election on 29 November 2026: the candidates standing in Barcelona and who is eligible to vote](https://barna.news/spain-general-election-29-november-2026-barcelona/)