Junts bets on Puigdemont's return to revive its Catalan fortunes

On Saturday, Girona hosted a protest called by the Inquilinas union, drawing roughly 700 people, far fewer than previous demonstrations for Palestine, International Women’s Day or the World Cup. Junts per Catalunya, which has consistently led the vote in Girona since 2017, used the event to signal that Carles Puigdemont’s expected return will be a strategic inflection point. Party figures including secretary-general Jordi Turull, deputy Albert Batet and spokesperson Miriam Nogueras stressed readiness for elections and a tougher stance toward the Catalan president and the PSOE.

A summer poll by the Catalan CIS pushed Junts to fourth place, forecasting a loss of nearly half its parliamentary seats. The party grapples with Puigdemont’s exile in Belgium, remote decision-making and the pending Constitutional Court endorsement of a full amnesty law, while also confronting the rise of the far-right Aliança Catalana in traditional Junts strongholds.