Ciutadans is contesting the upcoming general election in a coalition with UCIN and Democràcia 21, Ara.cat reported.
The centrist grouping faces difficulty securing representation as left and right blocs dominate politics, according to Ara.cat. Miriam González, an attorney who spent over a year considering a move into electoral politics, leads the list.
Despite appearing on the candidate lists, Ciutadans has maintained a minimal public footprint and avoided active campaigning for the contest. The coalition presents candidates in Madrid, headed by González, and in Barcelona, led by David Andrés Díaz.
Díaz previously held the number three spot on the Ciutadans list for the 2024 regional parliament elections and serves as the communication head for Ciutadans in Catalonia alongside a seat on the party’s general council.
Both González and Díaz are scheduled to appear at a central campaign event hosted by Democràcia 21 in Barcelona’s Eixample district on Saturday. However, historical figures from the regional party have opted out of speaking at the event.
Esta tarde nos vemos en Sant Cugat y en Santa Coloma Vamos a darle la vuelta a la política con la coalición con @democracia21_ Y tu formaras parte, con tu firma como aval para que pueda haber papeleta. Un aval que no condiciona el voto, sólo permite que D21 pueda presentarse pic.twitter.com/8I3MqGRkpt
The Eclipsed Reformist Space
The quiet campaign differs from the party's 2017 Catalan regional election performance, when it won 25.35 percent of the vote and 36 seats. In the 2019 general election, the party secured 57 seats before dropping to 10 seats in the subsequent repeat election later that year.
Current party channels across Catalonia and Spain have largely omitted the election from their digital feeds. General secretaries Héctor Amelló in Catalonia and Carlos Pérez-Nievas nationally have not published public endorsements of the candidate slate on their official accounts. Communication from the party has been restricted to sharing a link via a press WhatsApp group directing followers to a newly created Democràcia 21 update group.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the official Ciutadans account published a single notice regarding the November 29 vote on October 21, detailing requirements for collecting voter endorsements. No further updates regarding the election appeared on the profile in the weeks following the launch of the campaign. Instagram activity similarly halted after initial announcements regarding the endorsement signature collection phase, limited to occasional story reposts.
Albert Rivera Criticizes the New Formation While Carlos Carrizosa Supports It
Former party leader Albert Rivera criticized the new formation, arguing that voters should concentrate their ballots rather than risk wasting them.
“We must concentrate the vote and avoid it going into the garbage,” Rivera said, as reported by Ara.cat.
Conversely, Carlos Carrizosa, who assumed leadership of Ciutadans in 2019, announced publicly that he intends to cast a ballot for the coalition ticket.
Organizational ties remain visible within the Barcelona electoral list, where half of the 32 candidates maintain organic links to Ciutadans or participated in previous party lists. Sixteen members have prior connections to the orange party, predominantly drawn from recent regional parliament campaigns, though these individuals have not previously held elected office as regional deputies or municipal councilors.
