Mayor Jaume Collboni entered the Carles Pi i Sunyer room this Friday with his eyes on the Republican Elisenda Alamany. She was standing still. Around her, reality was nothing more than a blurry haze. Like in the movies. He then greeted her, and they both exchanged kisses, smiles and complicity. Then each one sat on her bench.
Anyone would call the story of this anecdote frivolous, but it explains the political situation in Barcelona much better than the detail of the agenda of the last plenary session. The session was so short that the councilors had time to go eat. Such short days have not been remembered on this side of Sant Jaume since the first moments of Ada Colau's first mandate. One of the consequences of such meager executives is that in plenary sessions they have few measures to put to a vote. It is not trivial. In these contexts, municipal action is greatly reduced.
Socialists and Republicans continue to flirt. Since they announced their budget agreement, their relations are more cordial than ever. Everyone hopes that they will dare to take the big step and sign a government pact soon. Meanwhile, so many displays of courtesy from the mayor are already straining his relations with those from Junts and BComú.
Item number 2 on the agenda was the constitution of a commission to promote the use of Catalan among young people, with special attention to social networks. The Republican Alamany enjoyed the first speaking turn, she was in charge of presenting the initiative. In reality this privilege corresponds to the government, although the commission in question was an ERC idea. The detail did not please those at Junts. Several points later came the presentation of another commission, the call to combat repeat offenders. So, although it was the idea of Junts, it was Albert Batlle, the lieutenant mayor of Security, who was in charge of presenting it. Jordi Martí Galbis, the spokesperson for Junts, asked for explanations and highlighted the error.
In addition, socialists and commoners tried to get along throughout the morning, trying to leave behind the exchange of statements these days between Collboni and Colau. But in the end... In an interview in Betevé, the former mayor reproached Collboni for not having yet sat down with her to talk about a possible government pact. And the next day, after a conference at the Col·legi de Economistes, the mayor responded to Colau that for now, with the commons, the government will only negotiate the budgets.
Despite everything, Janet Sanz, the spokesperson for BComú, defended in yesterday's plenary session a proposal negotiated with the socialist executive aimed at tightening the screws a little on the tourism industry so that it uses less water. In fact, Sanz thanked the PSC for its support of her proposal.
But in the throes of the session, Colau herself, with the Palestinian scarf that she wears so much in the last plenary sessions, presented a request for the mayor to “take a clear position against the presence of the Israeli embassy and Israeli companies.” at the Mobile World Congress and to guarantee that he will not participate in the official greeting or in any other official event linked to this embassy and these companies within the framework of the event.” And Collboni adopted a very institutional manner and indicated that he would do his part as mayor and president of Fira de Barcelona, that he will not participate in any boycott.
So, despite the fact that Collboni has been repeating lately that the City Council will approve its new budgets in the plenary session on March 22, the question of trust remains on the horizon. The socialists have already polled the popular people in this regard, they have already asked those who gave them the mayoralty what they would do in that situation. Daniel Sirera, the leader of the Barcelona PP, has no desire to get to this point. He would prefer to get a few games from the PSC and thus have some arguments to support his accounts as soon as possible. Even so, the executive would still not have a sufficient majority... Step by step, Collboni says when asked about these things. And given the rhythms that he likes to give to the negotiations, the end will be very exciting.
