Between the myth and reality of the 41st Meeting of the Cercle d'Economia, we have encountered a sculptural reflection by the artist Stephan Balkenhol on the human condition and relationships between people. Two sculptures seemingly confronting each other in the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in a context of contemporary isolation as a symbol of connection with oneself and also with others. An introspective dialogue, with awareness and contemporary disorientation in the face of the increasingly profound irruption of artificial intelligence.
However, as our friend Xavier Marcet says in one of his aphorisms: "There is no algorithm for the soul." So, let's stick with the 30 Greatest Hits, that is, a brief compilation of the best reflections shared by business and political leaders during a new meeting for the history of the Cercle d'Economia.
1. Martin Wolf: I believe in democracy, freedom, and truth. Critics are useful.
2. Teresa Garcia-Milà: Trust in institutions is one of the most important assets in a democracy. We must have confidence and political will to change things.
3. Marc Murtra: Life is trade-off.
4. Jaume Guardiola: We should not be afraid of business ambition with purpose.
5. Salvador Illa: I prefer to make mistakes and rectify rather than do nothing. Involution is the opposite of evolution.
6. Alícia Romero: Governments must generate certainties.
7. Francisco Reynés: Solving a problem implies taking a stand.
8. José Manuel Albares: Europe must make the Draghi and Letta reports a reality and must morally rearm itself.
9. Cristopher Caldwell: Even if we wanted to, we couldn't create another Donald Trump.
10. Carmina Ganyet: More technology and less ideology.
11. Juanjo Cano: To execute, leadership and a good governance model are needed.
12. Antonio Borge: Culture is irreplaceable.
13. Alberto Nuñez Feijóo: Let's talk about serious things.
14. John Carlin: A bad economy creates bad politics.
15. King Felipe VI: It is essential that journalism is capable of explaining the complexity of reality without denaturing its essence by simplifying it.
16. Imanol Pradales: In politics, time is very important. Pactism, to be real, must be between equals.
17. Alfonso Rueda: What belongs to everyone, must be discussed among everyone.
18. Antoni Brufau: A policy that incentivizes citizens and does not just regulate them is admirable.
19. Tomàs Muniesa: The United States innovates, China produces, and Europe regulates.
20. Daniel Tugues: My house is cheaper if it's dirty and messy, but I keep it clean and tidy because that's how one lives better.
21. Jordi Hereu: We will not win the battle of productivity if we do not translate savings into productive investment.
22. Martin Wolf: We are redefining money with stable coins. We are returning to paper and gold.
23. Juvencio Maeztu: We need much more humble and determined leadership. The world requires more simplicity. Bureaucracy is the reaction to fear.
24. Antoine Bores: We have to think about the future, be faster in regulating, and take more risks.
25. Núria Cabutí: We live in times of uncertainty, but we have to keep making decisions and setting the course.
26. Martin Wolf: What has worked in the past does not necessarily have to work in the future.
27. José Manuel Entrecanales: Everyone should want to be an entrepreneur. We live well with uncertainty.
28. Pedro Sánchez: The history of humanity is the history of immigration.
29. Juvencio Maeztu: The more technology there is in the world, the more human connections we will need.
30. Cercle d'Economia: The question is no longer whether to act, but how to act.