Former French PM Valls confirms candidacy as Barcelona mayor

The former Socialist leader will run on a ticket supported by unionist Ciutadans party

Manuel Valls speaks to the press on September 25 2018 (photo courtesy of REUTERS/Albert Gea)
Manuel Valls speaks to the press on September 25 2018 (photo courtesy of REUTERS/Albert Gea) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

September 25, 2018 08:29 PM

"I want to be the next mayor of Barcelona." This is how former French Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced his candidacy to lead the Catalan capital on Tuesday.

Valls spoke at a meeting where only some media outlets – some of them, French – were allowed to enter. During his speech, he explained he had made the decision "after a long and serious time of reflections," additionally mentioning his sentimental ties to the city and expressing that, in his home, Catalan was spoken. 

Arrimadas "very proud" of Valls' candidacy

Manuel Valls is to run on a ticket supported by unionist Ciutadans (Cs) party. Leader of the party in Catalonia Inés Arrimadas took to social media to say that she is "very proud" of Valls' decision.

She furthermore expressed hope that his victory would allow Barcelona to "turn a new leaf from years of a populist government, accomplice to separatism," alluding to Ada Colau's current government.

The race heats up

The current main contenders for the mayor's seat are, as announced today, Manuel Valls, as well as Catalan foreign minister Ernest Maragall of pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) party. It's also thought that current mayor Ada Colau, of Barcelona en Comú coalition (non-aligned with either bloc), will run again as well.

The Catalan Socialist Party, as well as former president Puigdemont’s political platform (Crida Nacional per la República) and party (PDeCAT), have not yet announced their candidate

A history in the bid for independence

Valls has been extremely vocal against the independence bid in Catalonia. In the election last December, he appeared in campaign rallies of all unionist parties in Catalonia: Ciutadans, the Socialists and People's Party.

Valls served as president François Hollande’s executive head from 2014 to 2016, having previously served as minister of the interior. In 2017, he lost the Socialist primary for France’s presidential election to Benoît Hamon.