The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has admitted in an interview with the ‘El Suplement’ program on Catalunya Ràdio that he has “fewer ideological and management differences” with Jaume Collboni, current mayor of Barcelona, ??than with the previous mayor, Ada Colau (Barcelona en Comú). Collboni, who won the mayoralty thanks to the votes of the PP, was “the least bad of the options” for the Barcelona City Council, according to Almeida, although now the PSC has an agreement on track to incorporate the ERC independentists into the government of the city. Even so, Almedia believes that the PP “acted well.”
Although Collboni “is a Pedro Sánchez man,” Almedia insisted that the alternative was worse for the PP, since Xavier Trias “is a Puigdemont man.” Even so, the mayor of Madrid believes that in municipal politics the differences are softened: “The other day I read an interview in La Vanguardia with Xavier Trias and he said things with which I identify quite a bit from the municipal point of view. But it is not The current Junts is the same as the previous Convergència,” he stressed.
Almeida has assured that an official visit to Barcelona is being finalized to meet with Collboni and discuss issues of common interest such as housing for tourist use. The municipal leader of the PP in Madrid believes that maintaining good relations between both councils “is a good example of institutional collaboration, despite the differences.”
Questioned about the competition between Madrid and Barcelona in the organization of events such as Primavera Sound, the Barcelona Beach Fest or, more recently, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Almeida believes that “the future belongs to the big cities, and there will be competition between “to attract talent and events in the areas of leisure, culture and entertainment, which in his opinion are increasingly important. The Madrid mayor is committed to “competing from loyalty” so that all large cities take advantage of it. “If Barcelona retains its F-1 Grand Prix, I’m happy,” he says.
Almeida admitted that “without Vox you live better.” “Yes, undoubtedly,” he said on Catalunya Ràdio. The PP leader has argued that he also “lives better” with an absolute majority, and that he does not wish his experience with Ortega-Smith from the last legislature “on anyone.” Currently, he admits, the relationship with the leader of the far-right formation in Madrid is “non-existent.”
Almeida has stressed, however, that it was not a “mistake” that the PP approached the extreme right, since the PSOE did not want “under any circumstances” for the popular ones to govern. On the other hand, he has defended that the “most thriving” city in the Mediterranean at the moment is Malaga, and not Barcelona or Valencia. According to Almeida, Barcelona has lost steam due to the bad image it has given during the process: “No one likes the images that were seen of burning streets,” says the mayor.
Almeida also regretted that the project to expand the Prat airport did not go ahead, and noted that he was “surprised” that the debate was not about whether it could be completed or not, but rather that there was a “frontal and categorical no” to the investment. .
