In his efforts to conduct foreign policy outside the Government’s radar, the ‘president’ Pere Aragonès has traveled to Italy to add new allies to his intention to create an alliance of Mediterranean regions. This alliance, under the name of the Mediterranean macro-region, would group together the territories of sub-state governments such as Catalonia willing to fight for their interests that do not always coincide with those of the State matrix. Sometimes, they are simply in opposition. This Wednesday, the ‘president’ managed to get the Italian region of Emilia-Romagnafiefdom of the center-left and bastion against the far-right executive of Giorgia Meloni.
Aragonès has traveled to Bologna to meet with the regional president, Stefano Bonacciniand thus give continuity to the meeting that the two already celebrated in the Generalitat in 2022. This Mediterranean macroregion is driven by Catalonia and by the Southern French region (which encompasses the PACA, that is, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) and, little by little, other territories have been adding followers. These include, for example, Occitania, Calabria, Tuscany and the province of Dubrovnik.
For now it is a political initiative that must be given a legal structure. To obtain the final green lightthe endorsement of the European Council, where the States rule. For now, the Mediterranean macro-region already has the endorsement of the European Parliamentof the European Comission and the Committee of the Regions.
What are these shared objectives between regions? The ‘president’ has cited some such as the fight against climate change, research, health, the energy transition or demographic change. An example of it? Last June, Aragonès agreed with the government of the French Southern Region work to establish the same pollution limits for the ports of Barcelona and Marseille. The reason is to reduce the environmental impact and be tempted to avoid competing downwards to attract more tourist activity.
After this Wednesday’s meeting in Bologna, the president of the Emilia-Romagna It has also given some of the keys to this regional alliance. He has said that his region and Catalonia are the industrial “locomotives” of their respective States and that they have much in common to share. For example, Bologna and Barcelona have two of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe – the HPC Leonardo Bolognese and the MareNostrum Barcelona-.
To lobby in favor of the macroregion, the Generalitat will host a major political event on November 24 at the Palau de la Generalitat with representatives of all regional governments. The definitive horizon, achieving the definitive yes of the European Councilfor which Spain’s ‘yes’ will also be necessary.
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Aragonès has not only staged a territorial alliance with the Emilia-Romagnabut has also sought a political alliance with President Bonaccini, who apart from his institutional responsibility, is the president of the Democratic Party, the center-left Italian opposition to the Brothers of Italy of Giorgia Meloni.
“We have the same idea of progress and left values at a crucial moment in Europe so that these ideas can move forward,” the ‘president’ has expressed. His idea is a progress based on “social justice and economic growth that reaches everyone.”