The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, today broke the tradition according to which the people of Barcelona went up to the Pedralbes monastery to ask Saint Eulàlia that it would not rain, especially the bride and groom thinking about their wedding day. The first mayor and part of the municipal corporation has paid a visit today, as every year on the occasion of the day of the co-patron of Barcelona, to the Poor Clare nuns of the monastery to convey a request to the contrary, but very justified given the current circumstances: “Ask whoever it concerns to help rain because the land, parks, gardens and trees of the city need it.”
The mother abbess, Montserrat Casas, has picked up the gauntlet and in fact has informed the mayor that every day, in their prayers, they repeat this request, although "for now the rain is not coming." However, the nuns are willing to be more persistent, if possible, than the persistent drought. “We will continue doing the same,” Sister Montserrat explained to Mayor Collboni.
In this way, Jaume Collboni has emulated another politician, the former Minister of Medi Environment of the tripartite government of the Generalitat, who in April 2008, when Catalonia was suffering from a drought situation similar to the current one, confessed that, despite being Agnostic, on a visit to Montserrat, where he attended the funeral of Abbot Casià Maria Just, he asked the Virgin of Montserrat that, if it was in her power, it would rain in Catalonia. On that occasion, the councilor's pleas had an effect and the country was freed from drought thanks to an extremely rainy month of May that once again filled reservoirs.
Councilors from all municipal groups attended the annual meeting with the community of nuns at the monastery founded in 1326 by Queen Elisenda de Montcada. The mayor of Barcelona has agreed there with two possible allies in his intention to expand the city's minority government, the former mayor and leader of BComú, Ada Colau, and the president of the ERC group, Elisenda Alamany.
Relations between commons and republicans have deteriorated after Colua herself suggested to the bases of the commons that ERC would be vetoing her entry into the city government, a circumstance that Alamany has denied.
Although the attitude of both parties during the visit to the Pedralbes monastery has not given any clue about the progress of the negotiations to achieve government agreements in the City Council, sources familiar with the negotiation assure that at this moment the The most likely option is that of an agreement between PSC and ERC that would not ensure Collboni an absolute majority. Ada Colau's decision to remain in the City Council is, according to these sources, the main obstacle for the three left-wing parties in the Barcelona City Council to close a government pact.
