The Cercle d'Economia demands ambition and political courage from the City Council and the Generalitat

"Today neither Barcelona nor Catalonia have a shared prosperity model that has the complicity of all agents. Therefore, our capital and our country are risking everyone's future: we can get trapped in a spiral of economic irrelevance, of slow but inexorable decline." This is how forceful the Cercle d'Economia has been in an opinion note published this Wednesday. The business organization asks for ambition, realism, broad consensus and political courage from both the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat to guarantee "a shared, consensual prosperity model that reaches everyone" that can reverse it. Despite the harshness, it shows itself "deeply optimistic" about the opportunities of Barcelona and Catalonia, the note emphasizes, since they have "the best tools to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the new economy of the 21st century."

Specifically, the Cercle criticizes the lack of pragmatism and dialogue with the private initiative of both administrations, in addition to the tactical approach, short-termism and lack of action of the policies they promote. "If there is an economic development model on the part of the Generalitat and the Barcelona City Council, it is often strongly ideological, with a lack of pragmatism. Other times they are models that generate confrontation and, therefore, difficult to execute in societies as complex and diverse as ours. Often the actions are designed without counting on private initiative and business, or directly go against it. They are models that do not understand that without private investment it is impossible to transform a reality, and they are ambitious in rights, but never talk about obligations," it censures.

It also points out that defending degrowth from the City Council and the Generalitat is an irresponsibility. "Degrowth is not credible, not even in the context of climate change. In industrialized countries, it is being shown that economic growth and the reduction of emissions can be made compatible," he defends. In this sense, he presents policies that have been implemented in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and cities such as Paris and Milan. From Germany, he highlights its political model that promotes "shared prosperity" and gives as an example the authorization of a Tesla plant of 600,000 square meters. The new factory is expected to generate 12,000 jobs but has received criticism for the felling of 97 hectares of pine trees. Finally, justice has authorized the project. In the Netherlands, a similar case, that of the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam, which needed European approval because it affected areas of the Natura 2000 Network.

To redirect the "disappointment" with the Generalitat and the City Council, the organization focuses on five strategic sectors that can serve to boost the city and Catalonia. Digitalization and scientific and technological innovation, the new green economy, life sciences and health, or the promotion of industry are some of the economic areas to focus on. There is also tourism, which the Cercle believes needs to be redesigned to compensate for its negative externalities and avoid monoculture, but without limiting, prohibiting, or avoiding it. In this sense, it advocates reviewing the security model and the urban reform that is being carried out, which it sees as elements that can hardly attract higher quality visitors. "Our own actions generate a negative stigmatization of Barcelona," he remarks.

Another issue that the organization believes also harms the ability to improve the current tourism model is the refusal to expand Barcelona Airport. "Barcelona's direct connection to the world is essential, not only to attract higher quality tourism, but especially to open up great opportunities to boost our economic, business, and entrepreneurial fabric," he argues. That is why he asks all administrations to work to make the expansion a reality and positively values the alternative proposals that have been announced in recent days.