Pro-independence Junts, taking a confrontational approach to relations with Spain

Confrontation is perhaps best how to describe the strategy of Junts per Catalunya towards relations with Spain and the Spanish government, and this will be the basis of their approach going into this new election and new cycle in politics.

The party of Carles Puigdemont, the exiled former Catalan president who led the territory into the 2017 independence referendum, stick by the principles of that vote six years ago, and want to fight to carry out the mandate of the result of that vote. 

In this way, they differ greatly to their fellow pro-independence rival Esquerra Republicana, who believe that dialogue and negotiation can yield results for their ultimate goal. 

Esquerra have led the Catalan government since 2021 and have been engaging in dialogue with the Spanish executive over these years. This, Junts say, has been a useless endeavor and waste of time. Instead, Junts say they want to carry out all democratic and peaceful political actions possible, both from Madrid and from exile, to make Catalonia independent.

Part of that is ceding no votes to any party that "exploits" Catalonia and "rejects self-determination," suggesting that they would not facilitate either of the potential coalitions looking to govern in Madrid. For them, the last four years has seen Catalonia lose powers and economic resources and receive attacks on the language and culture.

Míriam Nogueras, the party's top candidate for congress in the Barcelona jurisdiction, recently outlined Junts' view of the left-leaning Socialists at a campaign rally: "When the [conservative] People's Party raises the flag of unity of Spain, the Socialists embrace it. When the right calls us coup plotters, the Socialists applaud. We are the only ones capable of standing up to the Spanish right-wing."

With the various legal cases of the past few years involving Junts party members, they say they are being persecuted for their beliefs and ideology. Former parliament speaker Laura Borràs has been convicted of corruption for rewarding irregular contracts while the head of the Catalan Institute of Letters, Clara Ponsatí was recently arrested in March when making her return to Catalonia following years living in exile, while of course former president Puigdemont is still wanted by authorities over his role in the 2017 independence push. 

In their electoral program, they outline that they aim to show the differences between the Spanish judicial system and the European rule of law. Demonstrating this is essential, from Junts' point of view, to accumulate evidence that they constitute an objectively identifiable group, their manifesto reads, important as such persecuted groups can have a lot more legal basis internationally to seek independence.

The Junts electoral program calls for increased investment in Catalonia as long as there is no independence. Specifically, they charge against the investment deficit – they want to see funds invested proportionally to Catalonia's weight of the GDP, around 19 or 20%. 

They are also calling for the full transfer of control over transport and communications infrastructures, specifically airports and ports, management of the Zona Franca industrial area of Barcelona, and the Rodalies commuter rail network. 

With regard to the language, Junts highlights the need to make Catalan an official EU language, which would ultimately give it a greater presence in the administration of justice. This would mean, among other things, the obligation for judges and prosecutors to know the language, and also for the Official State Gazette to be published again in Catalan.

As they only stand in Catalonia, Junts will be a minority party in the Spanish congress. Currently they have 8 seats in the Spanish congress, and they're expected to win a similar number this year, give or take one. Polls suggest that this will see them finish third among Catalan voters, far behind the Socialists but quite close to Esquerra.