First debate for a first election. Jaume Guardiola and Rosa Cañadas, candidates to preside over the Cercle d'Economia, this Wednesday marked another milestone in the institution's more than 60 years of existence with a face-to-face meeting where they agreed on the need for a Cercle with more projection, closer to civil society and with a certain revolution, deeper in the case of Cañadas.
Convened at the headquarters in Barcelona, they put on the table from the need for a Catalonia that understands Spain to the need to promote Vocational Training. The recipes to be applied vary, but they are not far behind: a search for greater representativeness and to be a determining actor in public debates and the future.
Guardiola leaves with the label of continuity, which he does not refuse. He intends to "preserve, update and enhance the Cercle's legacy," he stated. For this he wants more participation of the partners in "the construction of the Cercle's thought" and move the Cercle "where society has moved". Cañadas bets on more disruption, adjusting to the "new times" and the "change of era" that is being experienced after covid. "We have not been in the great debates of these years," he criticized, looking at the pandemic. That is why he seeks to better integrate the voice of the partners and also promote a rejuvenation.
Both hinted that there has been a certain waste of the knowledge that the partners have. Also that the opinion notes that are issued have a way to gain strength. In those that are "brave" and closer to civil society, according to Guardiola, and gain influence, Cañadas said.
The legal reserve in Spain is also a task to be tackled, with a fiscal pact and an improvement in state investments. The first measure if he wins would go through "more dialogue and more communication", knocking on doors, said Cañadas, without complexes of simple co-capitality. Guardiola called on administrations not to engage in politics looking only from Madrid. In this best round trip, but, both refused to go through Waterloo.
In the search for changes, it is agreed that it is necessary to project more in Europe. "The Cercle needs more openness towards the rest of the world, Spain, Europe," said Cañadas. "To have the maximum possible voice in Europe," Guardiola pointed out. But for the candidate this does not mean bringing personalities -Ursula von der Leyen, Mario Draghi-, who can remain in speech and photo, without more juice, but to register as a lobby at the continental level "to have a voice, to be able to influence". "We are not present in Europe, we are not in the debate," he reiterated.
For Guardiola precisely the visit of leading European figures has served to build bridges. Von der Leyen's recent visit to the annual meetings has contributed to normalizing relations between Catalonia and the European authorities after the turbulence of the procés, he detailed.
The format of these days was another shock point. Guardiola is committed to keeping them in Barcelona, which give "more projection", although he acknowledges that there may be improvements in the questions or the possibility of conducting surveys. Cañadas also wants to rescue the headquarters in Sitges, which "allowed more reflection", with a format that combines both alternatives.
The most urgent, however, goes through other fronts. Guardiola seeks to influence the need for reforms to gain competitiveness. Cañadas aimed to re-engage society and business, since there is currently a certain disaffection, with "a responsible and intelligent capitalism." Amid the blow of inflation, they were in favor of an income pact.
The debate took place without major crosses except for one at the beginning, when Cañadas criticized Guardiola for insinuating that he included young people in his candidacy for no reason. The former CEO of Sabadell was very aware of the clock that measured the interventions all the time, distrusting at some point.
The elections to choose the new president of the Cercle d'Economia, who will take over from Javier Faus, will be next Tuesday, July 12. "It has been enriching for the partner, who had never been questioned, has been able to debate," believes Cañadas. "He has made it possible to make a diagnosis of what the Cercle is," said Guardiola, who in any case criticized that it has been a long electoral process.
To present himself, in mid-June Guardiola obtained 601 guarantees, more than half of the 1,176 members with the right to vote. Cañadas, for his part, limited himself to communicating that he complied with the process of exceeding 50 guarantees. Neither of them believes that they will leave open wounds for the future.
