VIDEO OF THE SPEECH (CAT)

I believe we can all agree that the circumstances during this term of office have not been easy: pandemic, war and respective consequences of both (lockdown, health emergency, vaccination, economic problems, inflation, greater social needs, delays in public works and so on.)

Yet the good news is that Barcelona has shown an extraordinary capacity for resilience.

I’ll start with economic data, which everyone is very concerned about. Because the reality today is this:

• Unemployment in Barcelona is at its lowest for the last 15 years. Yes, we're creating more jobs than restriction-free Madrid, which some aspire to follow, and without the social costs that its model generates.

• We have already recovered our pre-pandemic GDP and are growing at a faster rate than the rest of Spain and Catalonia. A phenomenon not seen before 2015, by the way.

• And Barcelona is the number-one European city when it comes to capturing foreign investment. Europe’s number one.

It’s not me who's saying it. Do you know who is? A newspaper I believe you will give considerable credence to: the Financial Times.

And only this Wednesday the Mobile Foundation published a study indicating that technology hubs in Barcelona have doubled in number since 2018.

Such figures show the model promoted in Barcelona these last few years is working.

A lot of people have contributed to this success. But it is also clear that the last 8 years have been decisive for driving forward with a more social, sustainable and competitive model.

We have ultimately promoted a more diversified, added-value and innovative economy.

What's more, we have done all this in a more social and sustainable city, since these things have to go hand in hand.

• Leaders in social investment. We’re the big city with the largest social investment per resident... and for the fifth consecutive year! We allocate 50% more than Madrid does!

When has Barcelona ever had such a priority for so many years in a row?

This is no abstract figure; it appears as a list of new public services that would take up the entire time of my speech to read out: Konsulta’m, Concilia, Unitat antidesnonaments, PAEs etc.

• Leaders in sustainability: the Cerdà plan was criticised by some people when it was approved because it was ahead of its time.

Like superblocks today. But the fact is they’ve received recognition from the United Nations and are being copied everywhere (Vienna, Berlin, New York and so on.)

And for all the electioneering that goes on, they are the future and here to stay.

• Which is why Barcelona enjoys extraordinary worldwide acclaim and capacity to attract. Once again, the assessment for these last 4 years is indisputable: 

• • The Supercomputing Center, southern Europe's first quantum computer, which a second will now be added to.

  • Headquarters of the UN's Giga project, for digitalising the world's schools

  • MWC choosing Barcelona has its permanent host city and showing full confidence in the city, added to which are others such as the ISE.

  • America’s Cup

  • World Capital of Architecture for 2026

  • Manifesta

  • Cutting-edge enterprises keep on choosing Barcelona as the location for their digital hubs: Cisco, Norrsken, Infor, Microsoft etc.

When was the last time Barcelona had this momentum? When was the last time Barcelona was able show off such figures and prestige? When was the last time a mayor could come here and show off such an assessment?

Finally, how we've done things is just as important as what's being done:

• With innovation: we've done things which had simply never been done before. And they don't just work, they’re receiving worldwide acclaim: APROPs (prizewinners), the Anti-Eviction Unit (prizewinner), co-housing with assigned used, the No Callem [We won’t keep quiet] protocol, which has enabled considerable progress to be made in the fight against violence against women.

• With metropolitan and regional leadership: BCN Energia, the Metropolitan Housing Operator, the Catalan government's incorporation into the El Besós consortium...

• Bringing order: who wants to go back to the old days of unrestricted speculation and the tourism monoculture? We've regulated and put an end to such activities, as well as gambling and betting, which do so much harm to young people, putting a halt to macro-kitchens and “ghost” supermarkets, creating an Amazon tax... And we’ve done all that in an honest way (lots of litigation, all dismissed by the courts).

• With the people (participation): Decidim (prizewinner), participatory budgets, Citizen Assembly for Climate... Which has made us the European Capital of Democracy

• Taking on extra responsibility: housing (more than the Catalan government), mental health, science, climate change...

• Effectively and efficiently: Barcelona has 1 billion euros more in its budget than it had in 2015. And without increasing its debt, despite all we've been through!

The City Council of 2023 has 3,000 civil servants more than it had in 2015, of whom 1,000 are city police officers.

And it's no coincidence that Barcelona was one of the first cities to receive Next Generation.

• Through dialogue and extensive agreements with social and economic players, various institutions and broad political support.

  • The PSC has been our government partner,

  • we've had 4 budgets and all the major city-transformation projects approved with the ERC,

  • and Junts has supported more than 80% of the government’s initiatives.

We've certainly done something right if it’s received their support.

In short, we’ve led a progressive government, with a social justice and sustainability project, with successful economic results and through dialogue and consensus and with stability. This is what Barcelona needs.

This is a bold, progressive city, that is not afraid of making changes and transforming itself to take on the challenges of the future. And when we make these transformations at first they will generate debate, but once they've been carried out, no one will want to look back.

No one wants to back away from the thousands of social-rent flats we’ve be creating in the city, like never before; from the traffic calming we've been implementing in Eixample, Avinguda Meridiana and in every one of the city's neighbourhoods; from the new public services, such as municipal dentists, municipal psychologists, Concilia [municipal child-minding service]...

Once these transformations become a reality, no one will want to look back. Which is why I want to continue leading a progressive government that continues to drive this transformation forward.

Because Barcelona has a project for the 21st century and it’s working.