On June 9, 33 candidates across Spain will compete for a seat in the European Parliament. The political campaign started on Friday.
The last European elections in 2019 were marked by the presence of two prominent leaders of the Catalan independence movement, former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and former Vice President Oriol Junqueras. However, this year they will not participate. Who are the Spanish candidates for the 2024 European elections?
Also read: Socialists win Catalan elections
Spanish candidates
Toni Comín – Junts per Catalunya
The pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya, which received the most votes in Catalonia in 2019, is led this year by Toni Comín. Comín, who has been living in exile since the 2017 independence referendum, previously served as Catalonia’s health minister. He emphasises that his presence in the European Parliament is intended to denounce “the repression of the Spanish state against the independence movement”. If the 2019 results are repeated, Neus Torbisco, professor of international law, and Aleix Sarri, the current director of the Junts office in the European Parliament, will also take seats.
Teresa Ribera and Javi López – Socialists
The Socialist Party (PSOE), which won 20 seats in the last European elections, is led this year by Teresa Ribera. Ribera is currently Minister of Ecological Transition and fourth Vice President of the Spanish government. She is joined on the list by Javi López, an experienced MEP. The socialists are focusing their campaign on countering the rise of the far right in Europe. That theme was also central to the 2023 Spanish parliamentary elections.
Diana Riba – Esquerra Republicana
Diana Riba, the current spokesperson for the Catalan party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) in the European Parliament, is once again leading the list of this left-wing nationalist party. Riba, who rose to prominence after the imprisonment of her partner Raül Romeva in 2017, has focused in the European Parliament on fighting repression and promoting ecological and feminist policies. This year, ERC is participating with an alliance of pro-independence parties, including the Basque EH Bildu and the Galician BNG.
Jordi Cañas – Ciudadanos
The liberal party Ciudadanos (Cs) has Jordi Cañas as its party leader for the European elections. Cañas is a historian and experienced parliamentarian and has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019. Despite recent disappointing results in the Spanish and Catalan elections, Ciudadanos sees the European elections as an opportunity to play a significant role again.
Estrella Galán and Jaume Asens – Comuns Sumar
The left-oriented Comuns Sumar emerged from a split with Podemos. This party is represented in Europe by Estrella Galán and Jaume Asens. Estrella Galán, until now secretary general of the Spanish Refugee Aid Commission, represents a clear commitment by the party to migration policy. This will mark the next term of office in Europe and also polarise opinions in Parliament. Asens, a lawyer with a long political career, has good ties with pro-independence parties. In addition, he played a key role in the negotiations for the appointment of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Irene Montero – Podemos
Podemos is also competing in the European elections, despite the recent split and poor election results. Irene Montero is the party leader. Montero, a former Minister of Equality, is known for her commitment to feminist and equality projects.
Dolors Montserrat – People’s Party (PP)
Dolors Montserrat of the right-wing People’s Party (PP) is one of the best-known faces of her party in Europe. Montserrat has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019 and a former Minister of Health. She campaigns against the amnesty for pro-independence leaders. She is also sharply critical of the socialists and pro-independence parties.
Jorge Buxadé – Vox
Jorge Buxadé, leader of the far-right party Vox, is again a candidate for the European elections. Buxadé, who has been in the European Parliament since 2019, is a member of the ultra-conservative group of European Conservatives and Reformists.
Oihane Agirregoitia – CEUS
The Coalición por una Europa Solidaria (CEUS) is once again participating in the European elections, but this time with some changes. Oihane Agirregoitia (Bilbao, 1980) replaces Izaskun Bilbao (PNV) as party leader. Bilbao announced at the end of 2023 that it would not stand for re-election after three terms. In addition, this time the coalition consists of the PNV, Coalición Canaria, El Pi-Proposta per les Illes Balears, Geroa Socialverdes de Navarra and the Agrupación Atarrabia. Their aim is to retain their current seat in the European Parliament.
Which coalitions are participating in the 2024 European elections?
During the 2019 European elections, 12 coalitions were registered, of which only Unidas Podemos (a combination of Podemos, Izquierda Unida and En Comú) and various alliances of nationalist and independence parties managed to gain seats in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The European elections are characterised by the use of a single constituency system at national level, rather than being divided between provinces or autonomous communities. This system promotes the formation of coalitions between parties with a territorial base or a minority character.
The following coalitions are presenting themselves for the European elections of June 9:
Sumar
The coalition with list leader Estrella Galán consists of Izquierda Unida, Verdes-Equo, Más Madrid, En Comú, Compromís, Chunta Aragonesista, Iniciativa del Pueblo Andaluz and Nueva Canarias.
Ahora Repúblicas
As in 2019, ERC, EH Bildu and BNG are participating jointly in the elections. This year, Ara Més, Sumar’s Balearic ally, is also joining.
Coalición for una Europa Solidaria (CEUS)
In these elections, the alliance between PNV and Coalición Canaria, who already worked together in the 2019 European elections, will be expanded with Proposta per les Illes de Baleares, Geroa Socialverdes de Navarra and the Agrupación Atarrabia.
Cree and Europe
In the upcoming European elections, Edmundo Bal, former leader of Ciudadanos, will participate for the first time in a coalition with the Contigo Somos Democracia formation. César Vera will lead the list of this group.
Junts UE
In the 2019 European elections, Junts was part of the Lliures per Europa coalition, in partnership with PDeCAT and the former Convergència, with Carles Puigdemont as their candidate. This year, while Puigdemont is running for the Catalan elections in May, Toni Comín, former minister of the Catalan government, will lead the list for the European elections. The current coalition consists of Junts, Demòcrates de Catalunya and Movimient d’Esquerres de Catalunya.
Ahora Andalucía
This coalition includes the following formations: Andalucía Por Sí, Convergencia Andaluza and Compromiso por Andalucía.
Espacio Amplio Paz Soberanía República
The coalition consists of the Partido Socialista Libre Federación, the Partido Federal Europeo, the Partido del Trabajo Unificado and the Espacio Amplio formation.
PCPC/PCPE
This coalition includes the Partido Comunista de los Pueblos de España together with the Partit Comunista del Poble de Catalunya.
País i movimiento rural
This candidacy is composed of parties with a focus on rural areas and local issues, including Convergents, Moviment Demócrata Català, República Valenciana and Vía Mediterrània.
European Pirates
This coalition is formed by the Pirates de Catalunya party and the Alianza Rebelde.