“Guardiola or Cañadas?” Even in Madrid they dare to ask about the great electoral contest this summer in Barcelona, which will be on July 12. Never have so few painted so much. There are 1,193 partners, of which 1,176 have the right to vote. Being a member costs 385 euros for the first year. The following years: 250 euros. The annual fee to a middling gym costs much more. And… yet the debate about the first and disputed elections that the Circle of Economy will have generates rivers of ink and comments. Catalan civil society, its bourgeoisie or what remains of it, split in two in its capitular institution, the one that has seen posh businessmen, senior managers and prestigious academics pass through its presidency. The never seen in the Catalan oasis that began to truncate during the hard years of the ‘procés’.
Guardiola is not the football coach, Pep. Nor Cañadas the renowned catwalk model, Esther. Guardiola (Jaume) He was the number two of Banco Sabadell, a senior BBVA executive before, a childhood friend of the ‘ex-president’ Artur Mas, involved in two de facto powers of the city: he is president of the Barça economic commission and president of the Esade foundation. He wants more, although he has already said that he will leave Barça if he ends up presiding over the Cercle.
Glens (Pink), has been a member of the Cercle for 25 years. She has been to three of their meetings. Her husband, the financier Carlos Tusquets (Mediolanum), was even president of the institution. She was born in Tangier, educated in France, she has one of the best agendas in Spain with the Alawite kingdom. She chairs the Tanja Foundation and the Trea Capital fund.
Who is more institutional, more ‘establishment’: Guardiola or Cañadas? Tie. Guardiola, a member of the board of the outgoing president, Javier Faus, represents continuity. “When you vote, Faus’ management will be judged,” says a person who knows the Circle well. The president of the real estate investment fund Meridia stirred up the institution, took the annual conference from Sitges to Barcelona and opened a debate, not yet closed, on the excess of politicization of annual events. Criticized or not, bring the prime minister of Italy, mario draghiin 2021, or the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, this year, plus the King and the politicians of our parts, has managed to place the spotlight of the media attention of Spain in the days of this peculiar club of members .
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Faus supports Guardiola. And the rest of the former presidents? They are divided between him and her. Personal relationships also have an influence. Those who support Cañadas think that she can recover the founding spirit of the Cercle: look to the future while maintaining tradition. Cañadas has already advanced the decision to celebrate the annual event in Sitges again. There are expectations to meet the key people of the Board teams. Guardiola has already announced his two vice presidents if he wins: the economist Teresa Garcia Mila and the CEO of the publisher Penguin Random House, Nuria Cabuti. Cañadas is keeping his vice-presidential aces up his sleeve as he says there will be plenty of young people on his team.
Cañadas and Guardiola are personally calling all the partners asking for the vote. Today, the unofficial bookmakers estimate a draw with a participation of more than 50%. At least the elections fuel the debate and the future of an institution that must take another leap forward. The story weighs. It wheights too much