Spain's CUP rebrands itself to fight electoral collapse

Spain's CUP rebrands itself to fight electoral collapse

The Candidatura d'Unitat Popular (CUP), a radical left-wing pro-independence party in Catalonia, has launched a campaign to respond to doubts about the tourism model, but the chosen image — two smiling young women — has sparked a wave of ironic comments on social media. And no wonder: the party, which has always prided itself on an austere and combative profile, now seems to be resorting to an aesthetic appeal that does not fit its anti-capitalist discourse. A sign of desperation or an attempt to modernise?

Meanwhile, a study by the Centre d'Estudis d'Opinió (CEO), the Catalan government's polling body, published on 18 July, reveals that CUP and Sumar voters are the most likely to go on holiday, while Vox voters are the least likely. This finding clashes head-on with the CUP's anti-tourism rhetoric, which denounces the negative effects of tourist overcrowding. The paradox is obvious: those who criticise tourism the most travel the most. And it is not just a matter of hypocrisy, but of political coherence.

The CUP's gesture is not an isolated one. The party finds itself at a delicate moment: the rise of Aliança Catalana, led by Sílvia Orriols, is eroding the electoral space of radical independence supporters. Orriols, with an identity-based and anti-immigration discourse, is attracting voters who previously might have gone to the CUP or Junts. The CUP, for its part, is trying to hold on to its base while facing an increasingly polarised electorate.

The reaction to the image published on Twitter was not long in coming. Users have ridiculed the CUP's attempt to present a friendlier profile, pointing out that physical attractiveness is not the right hook for a party that advocates breaking with capitalism. Some have even noted that CUP activists themselves often travel and show off their holidays on Instagram, which contradicts their message of rejecting tourism.

At its core, the CUP's strategy reveals a dilemma: how to be an anti-establishment party and attract voters without losing its essence. The temptation to resort to a more commercial image is understandable, but it can backfire. The electorate the CUP is targeting is precisely the one that values coherence, not glamour. Meanwhile, Orriols keeps growing, and the CUP seems unable to find an antidote.

The question remains whether this new image is a one-off experiment or a change of course. For now, the pro-independence party continues to defend its anti-tourism line, but with a friendlier face. Only time will tell whether voters buy it.