Leaders Reject Cooperation Amid Rising Polls
Junts leaders are publicly distancing themselves from any political cooperation with far-right party Aliança Catalana, following a surge in support for Sílvia Orriols’ movement. Recent polling suggests Aliança could become the second-largest force in the Catalan Parliament, overtaking Junts in voter intention. According to a Sigma Dos survey published by EL MUNDO on 11 September 2026, Aliança Catalana would secure 16.7% of the vote and between 25 and 28 seats, up from just two in 2024. Junts, by contrast, would win between 19 and 22 seats with 13.2% support, a significant drop from its current 35 seats.
Madí's Comments Spark Backlash
The debate within Junts intensified after David Madí, former official under Artur Mas and key figure in the old Convergència party, suggested in a La Vanguardia interview that political agreements with Aliança Catalana could be viable. Madí, who served in Jordi Pujol’s governments between 1994 and 2003, argued against maintaining cordons sanitaires, saying: “I am in favour of moving forward; there could be agreements with Aliança that work.” His remarks triggered swift rebuttals from top Junts figures. At the Universitat Catalana d’Estiu, Jordi Turull called for a clear confrontation against ultranationalism. Josep Rull criticised the “ethnicism” in Orriols’ discourse, while Jordi Pujol, in a 11 September radio address, defended an inclusive Catalan identity embracing both newcomers and long-standing residents.
We must confront the values of exclusion head-on. This is not the Catalonia we stand for.
, Jordi Turull, Junts leader
Electoral and Ideological Challenge
Aliança Catalana’s rise is not only reshaping the independence movement but drawing voters across the political spectrum. The Sigma Dos poll indicates that 25.8% of Aliança’s potential support comes from former Junts voters, while 32% of its new electorate originates from left-wing parties, 56,700 from the PSC and 44,400 from ERC. The party is also attracting constitutionalist voters: 172,400 from Junts, 30,800 from Vox, and 24,000 from the PP. Notably, around 112,000 people who voted for non-independentist parties in 2024 now back Aliança, highlighting a broader realignment. Junts now faces a strategic dilemma: whether to harden its nationalist stance to retain voters or maintain its pluralist principles and risk further losses. The party’s credibility is increasingly tied to its ability to resist far-right overtures while reasserting its democratic values.
Uncertain Future for Catalan Nationalism
The shift reflects a broader instability in Catalan and Spanish politics, where established parties are losing ground to newer, more radical movements. With Aliança positioned as the leading independentist force in current projections, the initiative may soon shift to Orriols in coalition negotiations. Analysts warn that if Junts fails to stabilise its base, it could be reduced to a junior partner, or excluded altogether, from future nationalist alliances. The era in which Convergència defined the terms of Catalan politics appears to be over. Whether Junts can uphold its legacy without compromising its principles remains to be seen.
Reported by russpain.com, elmundo.es, libertaddigital.com, democrata.es, lavanguardia.com, elnacional.cat, naciodigital.cat, elindependiente.com, elplural.com, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, regio7.cat, eldiario.es, rtve.es, en.ara.cat, elperiodico.com, europapress.es, es.ara.cat.
