Little atmosphere and, until yesterday, few votes. The process of renewing the chambers of commerce culminates today with the exercise of electronic voting in person after having been able to do so remotely since Friday. In the Chamber of Barcelona, ??where attention is focused, the result is uncertain between the two candidates in dispute: Eines de País-Un Pas Més, headed by the current president, Mònica Roca, and Toni Fitó, and Va d’ Company, led by Josep Santacreu.
The provisional participation data provided yesterday by the Department of Business show that 12,666 voters had voted in Barcelona until yesterday, 2.58% of the census, made up of 491,052 entrepreneurs and self-employed people. In Terrassa, 1,489 voters voted, 3.63% of the census; and in Manresa, 357, 2.3% of the electorate. In the other chambers there is no vote because they had a single candidate.
Unlike what happened in 2019, the campaign has been low-profile, beyond some specific controversies, such as Eines de País’ criticism of Pimec, which they accuse of wanting to appropriate the Chamber. The employers’ association chaired by Antoni Cañete flatly denies it.
Eines de País, which has the support of former president Carles Puigdemont, the Council of the Republic and the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), aspires to revalidate the absolute majority it achieved four years ago, although its leaders they stay cautious. Above all, because the movements of the Santacreu team are completely unknown, given the discretion with which they have faced the campaign. By means of suffrage, 52 of the 60 members of the plenum are elected, who vote divided into 14 activity groups. Eines de País has candidates for 51. Va d’Empresa presents 45, although it says it also has the support of at least five more who are running as independents. It could be the case of Banco Sabadell, which has not been included in any list.
To complete the plenary session, six members appointed directly by the employers’ organizations Foment del Treball and Pimec will enter. This time they agreed on an equal list. On behalf of Foment, Anna Cornadó (Copisa), Ignacio Marull (PWC) and Eloi Planes (Fluidra) would enter. For its part, Pimec has chosen Emma Gumbert (founder of Emma Gumbert), Martina Font (Font Packaging Group) and Miquel Martí (Moventia). There are initially two vacant positions, because the contest to fill the two seats that are occupied in exchange for a financial contribution has been abandoned.
