Jordi Martí unveiled as Junts’ mayoral candidate

Jordi Martí was officially presented on Wednesday 7 October 2026 as Junts’ candidate for mayor of Barcelona in the upcoming 2027 municipal elections. The announcement, made at the Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (ESCI) auditorium at Pompeu Fabra University, positions Martí as the main challenger to incumbent PSC mayor Jaume Collboni. Martí, who leads the largest opposition group on the Barcelona City Council with 11 councillors, declared the 2023 agreement that installed Collboni as mayor despite Junts winning the most votes, a pact between the PSC, PP, and Comuns, to be "the pact of the losers, of shame". In 2023, Junts won 11 seats with 22.5% of the vote, ahead of the PSC’s 10 seats, according to the official election results published by the Barcelona City Council.

Call for 'order and prosperity' amid national political tensions

In his speech, Martí framed his candidacy around restoring "order and prosperity", directly challenging Collboni’s governance and referencing the city’s Plan Endreça, a policy focused on urban cleanliness and public order. "I want to be the mayor of order and prosperity," Martí stated. He also linked local politics to broader national developments, citing the Constitutional Court’s 6 October 2026 ruling that prompted the Supreme Court to lift the national arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont, as reported by dpa international. "We would have liked to have him here with us today; in any case, it is a great victory for him, for democracy, for the country, and for Junts per Catalunya," Martí said. Martí criticised Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s announcement of early national elections, accusing regional leaders of rushing to support the PSOE instead of addressing the aftermath of severe storms across Spain.

Barcelona must once again be a city where its people can live and dream.

Martí described the current 12-year stretch of Colau-Collboni administrations as "crushing", and pledged a city "to live in, not just to visit".

Five-point plan for Barcelona’s future

Martí outlined five core commitments for his potential administration:

  • Strengthening Barcelona’s status as the Catalan capital, "this is about identity"
  • Increasing the presence of the Guardia Urbana (city police) and enforcing municipal ordinances
  • Improving access to housing and public transport
  • Supporting entrepreneurs and reducing local taxes
  • Governing in a "solvent and dialoguing" manner, avoiding what he called the PSC’s "sectarian government"

He highlighted the exodus of young people, families, doctors, engineers, and researchers due to unaffordable housing and the decline of traditional shops as urgent issues requiring action.

Political ascent and internal party dynamics

Martí, a law graduate from the University of Barcelona, began his political career in 1979 with Convergència and worked under Jordi Pujol in the Generalitat. He served as head of cabinet in the Health and Presidency departments and was a Member of Parliament in Madrid from 2000 to 2004. He returned to Barcelona politics in 2011 alongside Xavier Trias, who later designated him as successor on the Junts electoral list. Although former president Carles Puigdemont initially favoured other candidates, including Josep Rius, Joaquim Forn, and businessman Tatxo Benet, Rius withdrew, and Martí won internal party primaries four months ago. He has served as a city councillor since the 2023 elections, as confirmed in the official acta de proclamació de l’Alcalde de Barcelona published by the Barcelona City Council, where he is listed as the third candidate elected under the TriasxBCN–CM list.

Primary sources: govern.cat, Barcelona City Council. Reported by elperiodico.com, en.wikipedia.org, prbb.org, dpa-international.com, elplural.com, Martí Odriozola i Marcé, El Periódico Barcelona.