The day after he failed to regain the mayoralty he lost in 2015, Xavier Trias does not hide his anger and disappointment. It is hard with the socialists and with the already mayor Jaume Collboni and also with the PP of Daniel Sirera. What has happened fuels his pessimism about the future of the city and Catalonia’s relations with Spain.
how does it feel
I feel good. It has been shown that the parties of state obedience play with confrontation and do not allow a person like me to be mayor. I am too innocent, I thought that this disease had passed them a little, but they continue with their destructive will. They don’t understand the problem of Catalonia, the bet they made together with PDECat, Democrates, More… to see if we understand each other. From the City Council, a lot could be done to bring positions closer, to look for ways of understanding. I think they have broken the bridges that could have been built. It’s unfortunate.
Is it a pact that has been cooked up outside Barcelona?
I understand that they have asked for permission. It is difficult for me to understand the attitude of the PP, which owes a moral debt to me because it tried to destroy me by using the sewers of the State. I thought they wouldn’t have the courage to do it again and during the campaign I tried to make a speech of peace, to seek collaborations, consensus and complicity. It has not been possible. The PP and the PSC do not understand that for the politics of Barcelona, ??Catalonia and the State, seeking a rapprochement and a certain consensus was very important. And I still believe it.
What responsibility do the commons have?
Colau lost the papers. In an act of taking possession it makes no sense for him to hold an election rally. He does not manage to be in his place, neither when he wins nor when he loses.
From election night he said he would be the mayor, that the alternative pacts had no options. Didn’t you see the danger coming?
There was always that possibility. I felt cheated. We stayed with Collboni and Sirera who would call me if there was any news that would break the schedule. I’m still waiting. We were in the room and neither the PP nor the PSC people appeared there. It was about him not being able to do anything to prevent what they were up to. There are people who cannot be trusted.
He did trust Maragall.
Yes. The people of Esquerra have shown that they are serious. If they ask me if ERC is serious, I say that the Left I spoke to is.
Did the pact with ERC have recourse? ERC has supported the main policies of the Colau and Collboni government.
It was an important and interesting pact for the city. We agreed even on things we disagreed on.
Has there been a possibility of closing an agreement with the PSC? It was even considered sharing the mayorship with Collboni.
From the first day I said that there would be no such cast, that I would not play the puppet role. There must be a mayor who rules, who governs, who directs. I have had a lot of pressure from people who told me that I had to accept it, but time proves me right. Can you rule two years and give two more to a gentleman who is capable of doing what he has done?
Do you rule out the possibility of an alliance with the PSC in the future?
What alliance can we have? We will be a tough opposition these years; that Mr. Collboni is red, among other things because he only has ten councillors.
Despite having many programmatic matches with him?
It is evidence that we have them. But we will not end up sacralizing Mr. Collboni, who has played such a trick on us. He has his alliances with the PP and the commons. Let’s see how it’s done. I look forward to seeing it. He explained that he was the change. What an original change! It has already governed with some and now incorporates the PP. And if he tells us that he needs us, then listen, a big hug! Cynicism cannot reach these extremes. What is happening in Barcelona and other councils indicates a degradation of politics, which is driven by particular interests and egos.
Does it therefore portend a tense, conflicted mandate?
We will have to act from a great responsibility towards the city, but knowing that the gentlemen who have not loved us are the socialists. The campaign has been spent explaining how badly Colau has done it and now they are in love again.
His candidacy was based on a change with respect to Colau’s policies. Did you have any concrete measures in mind so that this change could already be noticed?
The most important thing is safety. The second, cleaning. The third one was scheduled to visit the Arrels Foundation this Monday, without the press, to give a social message. Another important thing is the commitment to a sustainable productive economy. The most relevant change with respect to Colau is that we think that the only way to fight poverty is to create economic activity. The theory of decrement is nonsense like a house. Nor can we continue with mobility policies that are against people. 30% (reserving new affordable housing developments) is socially understandable, but it is a failure and must be changed. It is a shame that Casa Seat celebrates its third anniversary and that the common people do not attend. And another example: it is not possible for the King to come to Barcelona, ??for the mayoress to leave him the Albéniz palace and then not greet him. We are angry with the King, but you have to be consistent with what you do.
And now what will Trias do?
I already said that if I wasn’t mayor I would leave. when? I have to talk to my group. I will be a retiree again. I had decided to leave the foundations I chaired and now I won’t have to. I hope they are happy.
Is he ruled out as a candidate for the 23-J elections?
The lists are already made. People have a capacity for invention that I appreciate, but it is not necessary. My script is very predictable, I’ve explained it fifty times: either I was mayor or I left this activity. So I’ll leave it. But I will help my party from my point of view, who already know that sometimes it is not the strategy they follow. My way of doing it is to collaborate, to add up, to avoid confrontations. It is clear that the State, the socialists and the PP want to annihilate us and the way to defend ourselves is to be strong, but that means not making us small. This is my obsession. We don’t do weird things. This sometimes requires sacrifices. The PP could have said: “listen, Trias, we gave you all the bad times in the world, now we let you be mayor”. Well no They will get me radicalized. It will cost them because I am not radical, but I have clear ideas. My arguments about the fact that we will get along in the end lose strength because we see how they play it whenever they can.
