Jaume Guardiola, one of the two pre-candidates for the presidency of the Cercle d'Economia, believes that this Barcelona forum should seek to "reconnect with a civil society that has radically changed". This renewed social structure “is full of new initiatives, with new leadership, with a high floating population attracted by the city, with the displacement of large companies to Madrid. The world of the Ibex, of regulated companies, will go less, and instead new platforms are emerging, tendencies towards disintermediation and the democratization of economic activity, which points towards a new economy. Also towards a reindustrialization ”, as a consequence of the effects of the pandemic, the supply crisis and the war.
According to Guardiola, "if the Cercle remains anchored in the old model" of civil society, it runs the risk of becoming inconsequential. Therefore, he proposes as a new objective of the entity to accompany and offer leadership to this new socioeconomic structure.
The former Banc Sabadell executive presented himself as a candidate continuing the legacy of all the former presidents and the opinion documents of the Cercle. On the balance of the last Board of Directors, chaired by Javier Faus and of which he has been a part until its last meeting last week, when the elections were called for July 12, Guardiola made a "clearly positive" balance . However, he acknowledged that "there was a crisis a year into the mandate," referring to the clash between the current president and most of the former presidents, which forced a negotiation and a pact to partially redirect the situation, with certain ups and downs. .
Since then, Guardiola continued, “many bridges have been rebuilt and I will rebuild the ones that are missing”. "I don't know how much wound there is, but if there is, it will be a priority for me to re-seal it, I think I have the necessary skills to do it," he concluded on this matter.
Regarding the fact that for the first time there are elections with two candidates, he and Rosa Cañadas, to elect the president, he described it as “welcome, I can't say anything more. There are partners who do not like it, they fear that there will be polarization; others, on the other hand, are delighted to be called by candidates. And that, obviously, will add more participation to the elections.”
Among his specific proposals, Guardiola outlined the creation of an "editorial committee, made up of a small group of the board of directors that meets periodically, as well as a new body or editorial group, which brings together the ecosystem of thinkers or relevant and new voices and with the knowledge centers of Barcelona”.
Regarding the Annual Meeting, one of the high points in the life of the Cercle, Guardiola considered his transfer from Sitges to Barcelona a success, although he acknowledged that some members have considered the parade of politicians excessive, who also did not accept questions, "something that we will try recover, although it will not be easy”. He admitted that the great lack of the last ones was the participation of some renowned economist of world prestige, something that has always been characteristic of the meeting.
On the other hand, he confirmed that he has informed the president of Barça, Joan Laporta, that if elected he would leave the presidency of the economic commission of the sports entity at the end of the season, around October. Guardiola reasoned that quite a few members had expressed their concern about the possible inconvenience of reconciling both positions, due to the media noise that always surrounds the Barcelona club.
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