The new mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has admitted that although it's possible for him to "start" his mandate with 10 councillors it would be "optimal to have a broader government". Thus, he noted that he had already offered Ada Colau's Barcelona en Comú the possibility of entering his executive and he left the door open to this scenario after the Spanish general election on 23rd July. In an interview this Tuesday on radio show El Món a RAC1, he reiterated that he aspires to have a sufficient majority and will feel more "comfortable" with those who also feel "comfortable" with the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC). However, he indicated that "no one knows" what the situation will be in a few months, but sees it as "reasonable" that the executive might be expanded later. One party with whom he has made it clear that he will not govern is with the People's Party (PP), although he thanked them for the votes that enabled him to take office as mayor, Collboni has said that his and theirs are "antithetical" parties.
On the other hand, the Socialist explained that he backs a pact with Together for Catalonia (Junts) in the provincial council of Barcelona: "It is the best solution and gives continuity".
The Rambla rebuild will be sped up
Collboni has announced one of the first major measures of his city government. The extensive makeover of the city's famous pedestrian avenue, the Rambla, will take place twice as fast, that is to say, the transformation of this unique space will take place in three years, and not in six as initially planned. The mayor explained that just yesterday he gave the order to the technical services to reduce the construction period to 36 months. Collboni argued that "it is one of the most iconic and momentous rebuilds for the recovery of Ciutat Vella", an area that he has indicated as one of his priorities and where the necessary resources will be allocated to achieve "quality of life" so that citizens "will find each other again on the Rambla". Although he admitted that it is a "complicated and very sensitive job", he considers that it is worth the effort because it must be the great cultural axis of the city, while Via Laietana must become the great economic axis of Barcelona, he said
Collboni-Aragonès meeting
Jaume Collboni stated that he will meet with the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, as soon as possible, although he does not know if it will be before or after the general elections on 23rd July. "My priority is to deploy the Generalitat's budget commitments to Barcelona city council." The mayor went through the budget items that the Catalan government plans for the city of Barcelona, among which he highlighted the extension of several metro lines: L1 to Badalona; L3 to Esplugues, L4 to Sagrera and Meridiana. As well as this, the budget for law enforcement, public health, public services and the expansion of the Barcelona -El Prat Airport.
President Aragonès has criticized the "unnatural" deal in Barcelona that made Jaume Collboni mayor, through the votes of the PSC, anti-austerity leftists the Comuns and Spanish conservatives the PP. In an interview on Catalunya Ràdio the Catalan leader said that the three groups that "came together to stop" the independence movement "had been fighting each other during the campaign and have nothing in common". Collboni responded by affirming that "those of us at the head of the institutions must have perspectives on things. I will try not to enter into the campaign as mayor". He noted that Aragonès had passed his budget in the Generalitat "because he reached an agreement with the PSC".
A speech for both scenarios
The investiture of Jaume Collboni as mayor of Barcelona was a last-minute surprise for everyone, even for him, he asserted, saying that he found out he would be mayor when the votes were counted. The mayor explained that he entered the Saló de Cent with two folders "one with his inauguration speech as mayor and another as head of the opposition". The mayor responded to the accusations of Xavier Trias, who said this Monday that "everything [Collboni] says are lies. He will never fool me again. I am telling my people that he will stab them in the back" . He regretted that these statements were made "because I understand that they are the result of the moment", despite the fact that he argued that he was within his rights and did not hide at any time that his intention was to go to the investiture, and warned that he would go all the way. However, he stated that "I respect him a lot as a politician and mayor, but there are rules of the game and I have every right". In relation to the rumours that the decision to make him mayor was decided in Madrid, he reiterated that it was a decision made in Barcelona "the sequence of events is public and well-known".
Opposed to the superblocks
The Socialist mayor reiterated that he is not in favour of building more superblocks, but he is in favour of maintaining the ones that have already been built and he recalled that his commitment, as stated in the campaign, is to recover the interior of the Eixample district. Another prominent topic in Barcelona is the Diagonal tramway connection. The mayor stated today that he is in favour of continuing with the works to connect it. "We will get to Plaça Verdaguer and then we have to see how the connection is made," he concluded.