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The candidate of the Trias for Barcelona ticket, Xavier Trias, reiterated this Monday in a press conference with journalists at the Catalan News Agency that, if he does not win the 2023 municipal elections, he will not try to be mayor. He was this direct: "What I won't do is not be the most voted candidacy and try to be the mayor." "I am committed to becoming mayor by being the candidate with the most votes", argued Trias, who discarded the votes of the People's Party (PP): "I don't need them to be mayor, whatever the result," assuming he finishes with the most votes. In fact, the mayor recalled that in 2011 when he won office, he became mayor with the 14 councillors he had, without having to reach majority support. However, he continues to stretch out his hand to both the Catalan Socialists (PSC) and the Republican Left (ERC) and he affirmed that he will not draw "red lines". "What we have to look at is what we agree on, we will get along with anyone who wants to put things in order, which means improvements in cleanliness, security and mobility," he said.

Asked if the departure of his own party Together for Catalonia (Junts) from the Catalan government and the disagreements between ERC and Junts could torpedo an understanding with Ernest Maragall, Xavier Trias pointed out that "nothing" has happened between him and the Republicans and that relations with the Oriol Junqueras's party are "very good". "What interests me is Barcelona and we can't spend all day thinking about what has happened [in the past]," he added. Trias emphasized that with Maragall he shares, for example, a "love for the city": "Agreements with him should not be difficult". And also regarding the ERC candidate, Trias expressed his outrage that Maragall was not invested as mayor in 2019: "What they did to him was a very significant travesty, those who encouraged it. There are times when I feel more outraged than him [Maragall], what happened is unacceptable."

Regarding his points in common with the Jaume Collboni, Xavier Trias believes that they are united by the defence of the "creation of economic activity". However, he considers that they do not agree "over the way of doing things" and he took the opportunity to criticize the Socialist: "There are things that are difficult to understand: he has been governing with Ada Colau for eight years, but he says that she's doing it badly; he leaves the government and allows his party to continue governing with her... it's hard for me to understand all this, you'll have to explain it to me very well."

"A mayor cannot be against the Government"

In relation to what is known as the "national axis" - over independence and nationalist issues - Xavier Trias claimed that Barcelona must act "truly as the capital of Barcelona and of Catalanism". Despite this, he noted that "a mayor does not go out onto the balcony proclaiming independence", but must be "faithful" to what the Generalitat government says: "A mayor cannot be against the executive, in any case, but we can see if they do it better or worse." Regarding Junts's defence of paying taxes to the Catalan Tax Agency, Trias warned that "I will not spend all day commenting on the positions of Junts". "I am a member of Junts, I am characterized by being obedient", he stated, claiming that he will do what is "most beneficial for Barcelona". Along these lines, he believes that, in tax matters, this step can be taken "if it is possible": "If it is not, we won't do it".

One hypothesis circulating is that turnout in the municipal elections will be low, an eventuality that would disappoint Xavier Trias: "Those of us who are in favour of democracy believe that the more people who take part, the better." At the same time, there is a sector of the independence movement that is calling for abstention - as former minister Clara Ponsatí has done, for example - an advocacy that Trias does not share either: "It is a mistake, it does not lead to anything positive for a pro-independence electorate to abstain". "I am standing with the help and collaboration of other parties beyond Junts and we are trying to come together so that there are many people who vote for us. There are people with very different approaches, but who share the indignation for the management of the city, and we represent change", he responded.

"Tramways through cities are out of fashion"

Again, Xavier Trias criticised Ada Colau and Jaume Collboni for having turned mobility into a "problem". "We all agree that traffic must be pacified, but you can do it in a way that makes people angry or by using friendly formulas, and it has been done by making them angry," he emphasized. In this context, he again showed himself opposed to building the next section of the tram, which would connect the two halves of the the Diagonal tramway, from Plaça Verdaguer to Plaça Francesc Macià:

"In the 2000s, trams were progress, today they're not, they are a fixed thing and now we have electric buses that work as well as a tram and don't create this problem." According to Trias, tramways through cities "are out of fashion" and are designed to "join cities, but not to allow circulation within them". The ex-mayor warned that the tramway is "direct responsibility" of the TMB public transport operator and was "surprised" that Ada Colau "committed to a private company": "If someone else had this, they would create a scandal and say that we are privatizing".

On the other hand, Trias maintains that he is running for mayor "because the city is not doing well" and, regarding the dirty tricks campaign which in 2014 saw him falsely accused of corruption in the media, he said that "what happened is a shame, the most scandalous thing is that nothing happened [as a result], but I won't spend my life licking my wounds." Finally, the Trias for Barcelona candidate promised to resume relations with Tel-Aviv if he is elected to lead the Barcelona City Council.