Josep Santacreu, former CEO of the insurance company DKV, yesterday assumed the presidency of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce by 35 votes in favor of the possible 58 with a speech in which he promised to work to recover the "influence" of the institution , in addition to effectiveness, representativeness within the business world and independence.
Santacreu's list - Va d'Empresa - won support for all positions, although the pro-independence candidacy battled for seats on the executive committee and a vice presidency. They all lost with a minimum of 10 votes difference compared to the Santacreu team. In this way, Eloi Planes (Fluidra), Martina Font (Font Packaging Group) and Miquel Martí (Moventia) were appointed vice-presidents. The treasurer will be Xavier Comerma, representative of Banco Sabadell, who ran in the elections as an independent, but with the support of Va d'Empresa. The other members of the executive committee are Xavier Pujol (Fico Cables), Emma Gumbert (Gumbert group); Salvador Vendrell (Ofisol 2000), Marta Angerri (Casa Ametller), August Tarragó (Llop Gestió Esportiva), Joan Nogués (Norprint) and Enric Bordas (Santacreu 2000).
In the Chamber there is no relief without controversy and once again the results have been called into question by the losing candidate, Eines de País. Toni Fitó, who has led the campaign with the until yesterday president, Mònica Roca, stated that this Monday's vote violates the Catalan law of chambers and that he will study legal actions against it. His argument: that the plenum had been constituted in a second call and that, law in hand, all agreements had to have a two-thirds majority. Oriol Guixà, from La Farga and a member of Va d'Empresa, proposed to vote again because a simple majority would be enough. His proposal was discarded by the secretary general of the Chamber, Xavier Coronas, when the duration of the plenary session was already approaching four hours. "We could have celebrated it in the first call if the members of Eines de País had not entered late despite being in the building", replied Santacreu. Indeed, Roca, for example, entered the room half an hour late.
Despite everything, the plenary session, which was presided over by Albert Castellanos, general secretary of the Business Department, proceeded calmly and courteously, with congratulations from Eines de País to the winners.
Santacreu also acknowledged the "job well done" by Roca, although he stressed that "we will work without being influenced by any external interest", with a mandate "without making noise or stridents". And he insisted that he wants an institution "with its own voice", which is "united, broad, transversal and representative".
The results offered few surprises. Except for that of Saba, which opted for Eines de País, contrary to what was expected. The parking company chaired by Salvador Alemany ran as an independent in the elections. In the Chamber it will be represented by its general manager, Jordi Díez.
Santacreu structured its mandate around ten axes. The first, efficiency in the service to companies and also demanding more agile administrations. It also proposes to promote individual and collective equal opportunities, together with sustainability and business culture. Innovation, internationalization, the promotion of talent and full employment are other points of its program.
Taxation is another major axis. "A new financing model for Catalonia will be defended, while work will be done to reduce the current fiscal grievances with respect to the rest of the State and the corporations that abuse taxation", the new president stressed. Infrastructure, an area in which the Chamber has always been very active, and Industry 2.0 complete its program.
When the plenary ended, the Minister of Business, Roger Torrent, intervened, pointing out that the objectives listed by Santacreu are "aligned" with the Government; in particular, the feminization of institutions, innovation and sustainability.
The employers' associations Foment del Treball and Pimec congratulated the new president. Foment celebrated the appointment and wished him "luck and success". "We are convinced that we will work together to promote economic progress and we will cooperate with the will to respond to the needs of the entire business fabric and, in particular, of SMEs and the self-employed", said Antoni Cañete, president of Pimec .
