Voting in the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce begins this morning with an uncertain outcome and a bitter controversy between Eines de País-Un Pas Més and Pimec. The pro-independence team yesterday accused Pimec of "wanting to control" the Chamber and of having pressured some candidates to withdraw, accusations that the employer rejects. Eines de País aspires to revalidate the majority contested by the Va d'Empresa candidacy, headed by Josep Santacreu, former director general of DKV.
Toni Fitó, current vice president of the Chamber and one of the leaders of the Eines team along with president Mònica Roca, stated yesterday that Pimec should maintain a position of neutrality as Foment del Treball and Femcat have done. He also described the pressures exerted as “very serious”, announced that they will study taking legal measures and demanded “fair play”.
The employers' association chaired by Antoni Cañete responded immediately. “Pimec is not running in the elections and, therefore, he will neither lose nor win them,” said sources from the employers' association, who assured that the only thing they have done is “encourage members to participate.” They also highlighted that there are Pimec candidates on both lists, although the presence is much more notable on Santacreu's list. Specifically, 41 members of Pimec on the Santacreu list compared to seven on the Eines de País list.
The disagreements with Pimec have already caused the withdrawal of Agbar, which aspired to win the position in group 1, where energy companies and water companies compete. The withdrawal occurred after Factor Energia, the company run by Pimec vice president Emili Rousaud, chose to challenge him for the position. Also competing in the same group is Eines' candidate, CatGas, which is the company that currently occupies the seat. The group chaired by Àngel Simón announced that he would exercise his representation through Foment del Treball after retiring. Foment and Pimec have the right to appoint 6 of the 60 members of the Chamber's plenary session and to do so they have agreed on a 50/50 list.
Beyond the scuffle between Eines and Pimec, there is also political unrest, a new front of contention between ERC and Junts. Although the ERC Government assures that its position is absolutely neutral, Eines and Junts accuse it of being behind the Santacreu option, a person who has a lot of sympathy in sovereigntist circles. The former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, has openly expressed his support for Eines de País, although there are also members of Junts who would welcome a victory for Santacreu. For example, the former councilors Jaume Giró and Victoria Alsina or the former mayor of Barcelona Xavier Trias.
The voting period to exercise electronic voting remotely begins today and the process will conclude on the 20th with voting also electronic but carried out in person.
The voting begins with great uncertainty about the final outcome. Above all because of the discretion with which the Santacreu team has moved, which among its main supporters includes Eloi Planes, executive president of Fluidra. Santacreu has sought support especially among unions and other business organizations, while he has refused to participate in the debates proposed by Roca and Fitó.
As already happened in the 2019 elections, Eines de País has not yet revealed who will occupy the presidency if he wins again. But it is assumed that the decision will be between Roca and Fitó without ruling out that they share the mandate with two years for each as Joan Canadell and the current president already did.
52 members of the plenary session must be elected. Another 6 will come from the employers' list, while two positions will initially remain vacant, those reserved for companies with greater economic contribution, the so-called silver chairs. There is no offer to occupy them, after the price has risen to 150.00 euros per year.
