Ada Colau has saved the commons. Catalunya en Comú Podem has a future as a party thanks to the sacrifice made, which has allowed Jaume Collboni to be mayor of Barcelona against all odds. But, at the same time, his pact with Yolanda Díaz, joining Sumar, buries Collauism, which goes down in history. In practice, the old ICV of Joan Herrera returns. With similar approaches and even with people from that time. The 15-M in its Barcelona version is amortized as the mini-crisis around the Sumar program and a possible referendum in Catalonia have shown.

Yes, Colau has delivered Barcelona to the PSC. But it has saved a good part of the party cadres who lived from having positions of trust in the consistory. Collboni keeps them. And Catalunya en Comú Podem saves the furniture in this sense, the monetary, the organizational, the electoral rights.

Another thing is Colauism, which has been fundamental in the culture war in the Catalan capital. This move was subtly different from ICV. One of the things that differentiated them was that there was open talk of an agreed referendum in Catalonia. ICV included it in the program, but then did not mention it. Jaume Asens, Ada Colau and other members of the party mentioned it non-stop, although they did not later present any legal initiative in this regard. But claiming the right to self-determination fit perfectly with left-wing politicians, more comfortable in street activism than stepping on palace carpets.

Now, with Yolanda Díaz, few jokes. It returns to the ICV scheme. The referendum may be on the program, but it is not talked about. Pablo Iglesias did it often. Yolanda Diaz, no; as already made clear this week. That's why he lowers it, even in the program. It has become a formula of the style “ratify an agreement that arises from the dialogue table to solve the question of the fit of Catalonia in Spain”. In practice, vote for a new Statute. Something that does not excite the masses in Catalonia. Ada Colau embraced Yolanda Díaz to survive politically. But Yolanda Díaz does not sympathize at all with the independence movement and although she does not talk about it, it is very noticeable.

The only independentista in the group was Asens, now ousted from the lists by Yolanda Díaz. Colau will leave the City Council sooner rather than later, according to sources from the commons. And the activism that Colauism liked so much does not seem to be maintained in its old style by profiles like Jèssica Albiach or Aina Vidal. The latter comes from the V of ICV, what in its day was called Esquerra Verda, the Catalan ecologists. In other words, projects such as the expansion of the airport will always run into people of their political profile.. But it won't go any further. If on the Catalan right the speech up to the municipal ones was “Convergència returns”, it could be said that on the left it would be something similar until the general ones at least: “ICV returns”.

Surviving away from Barcelona

The biggest challenge for Colauism will now be to survive far from Barcelona. The hard core of Gala Pin, Gerardo Pisarello and Eloi Badia —who, depending on how the polls go, could not come out— are going to Congress. But the activism in the Carrera de San Jerónimo has not quite worked, as the CUP has verified firsthand, which it is very difficult to repeat in the Lower House.

Of those who remain in Barcelona, Jordi Martí Grau is Colau's favorite heir. But Jordi Martí came from Mes, the party founded by Ernest Maragall. I was not a first-time collauist. He joined as number two in 2015 because the management of the consistory is very complex and Jordi Martí treasured all the knowledge and experience of the PSC, his original party. The election by the former mayor shows the extent to which Colauism is no longer recognized when looking in the mirror.

disputed inheritance

If Colau has not yet opted for Jordi Martí, his protégé, it is because the first-time colauistas are opposed. Councilors like Janet Sanz or Lucía Martín have risen up against this maneuver. So with the inheritance in dispute and the focus on Collboni and Xavier Trias, it makes it difficult for Collauism to return to its essence: activism and the impact on the media. Internal tensions have a complex solution. And it does not help the essence: the party survives, the movement is dying.