Tomb of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona. If four years ago the pro-independence candidacy Eines de País surprised with an overwhelming majority, yesterday it was the list headed by Josep Santacreu that swept the results. It obtained 31 seats, almost 60% of the 52 that have been put to the vote, compared to the 21 of the list headed by Mònica Roca and Toni Fitó.
These 31 seats include some that have been won by companies that have presented themselves independently, but that have had the endorsement of Va d’Empresa, the Santacreu list. This would be the case, for example, with Banco Sabadell.
But, in addition, Santacreu will count, barring surprises, with the six votes of the employers’ representatives who have agreed Foment del Treball and Pimec, who will have direct access to the plenary session. Among them, Eloi Planes, president of Fluidra, and one of the pillars of the Va d’Empresa operation.
Among the companies that enter the plenum with Santacreu are Casa Ametller, Fico Cables and Factor Energia. And among those that have surprised because they have been left out, stand out Colonial, which went with Santacreu; the company of restaurateur Ada Parellada, which presented itself with Eines, and Bon Preu, which presented itself as an independent, although its proximity to the pro-independence team is known.
Joan Canadell, former president of the Chamber and deputy of Junts, has also failed to enter, who this time has presented himself with the company Ictineu Submarins. Yes, Mònica Roca, with Isardsat, and Toni Fitó, with Pere Quart, have won a seat.
The objective of the Santacreu team is to recover for the Chamber the entrepreneurial spirit that corresponds to this institution, away from the political bias that has marked some of the most controversial decisions, such as the accession to the Council of the Republic or the change of shield to suppress the crown. In several business sectors there is also discomfort because they consider that the institution has lost influence inside and outside Catalonia, where it has given up exercising its own voice in entities such as the Chamber of Spain, where European funds are processed for projects of the chambers of the whole country Barcelona no longer holds the vice-presidency of the Chamber of Spain and has also resigned to preside over the Council of Chambers of Catalonia. Only the prestige of its study service has remained intact.
Santacreu, former CEO of the insurance company DKV, has developed a discreet campaign working mainly in the areas of trade unions and other business organizations. He is a well-regarded person, moreover, in sovereignist sectors for his cordial disposition, his professional career and his social activity. He won the seat with the Private Foundation Pro Disminuïts Psíquics Finestrelles, another example of this social focus.
From the Va d’Empresa team, it is emphasized that its objective is a transversal orientation and to defend the interests of large and small companies and the self-employed. And also transversal from a political point of view.
Although EINES de País has accused ERC of being behind the winning list, the truth is that Junts leaders have also supported Santacreu, such as former councilors Jaume Giró and Victòria Alsina, in addition to the former mayor Xavier Trias. Despite this, former president Carles Puigdemont has explicitly supported Roca and Fitó.
The campaign did not go hand-to-hand, because the Santacreu team refused to participate in debates, as Eines de País proposed. But the financial management of the institution has been very present, since it has gone from a profit of more than 120,000 euros in 2018 to losses of more than 800,000 in 2022. The current management team attributes this mainly to the investments made in the transformation of the Diagonal building, where more than 5,000 square meters have been enabled for shared spaces at the service of companies. Santacreu has now promised austere and prudent management.
As usual in these elections, participation was very low, at 4.36%, according to data from the Department of Business.
