Not coincidental coincidences: exactly the same day that the UN rebelled against the global “inaction” in the face of the climate crisis, a court ordered the dismantling of the green axis of Consell de Cent. For some it does not matter if the world (from Hawaii to Tenerife) is burning or flooding in equal parts, because what prevails is protect the ideology of a minority against the general interest.
The bold and revolutionary transformation of Barcelona in recent years, which has earned it spectacular international recognition (from entities such as the UN or UNESCO, and from newspapers such as ‘The New York Times’ or ‘The Guardian’, including even the admiration of the CEO of Mobile), has collided face to face with the dark and dubiously representative interests of a few trader organizations, who decided to take a shortcut and judicialize what they had actually already lost in the legitimate government plenary sessions.
It is the great paradox: the new green Barcelona, civic and sensitive to climate change, mirror of multiple cities and inspiration of great politicians and intellectuals around the world, can be blocked by some lobbies who first unsuccessfully invented that of ” decadence of Barcelona”, then they unleashed an avalanche of complaints, all filed, against Mayor Colau with the sole purpose of destroying her, and finally they rushed to the courts in desperation.
But be careful, because what this sentence, and those who have provoked it, intend, is not to reverse any work but prevent new ‘superilles’ from being made and new ‘consells de cent’, that is, that Barcelona advances in the green project that has dazzled the world and to the citizens who enjoy it.
The intention of this latest reactionary barrage is simply to intimidate the new council like thugs, and the message that is sent, with the help of a judge, is clear: if you go in the same direction as the previous ones, we will come after you , there can be no more pedestrianizations, no more obstacles for cars, no more bike lanes, no more ‘superilles’. The proof is that the same day of the judgment, the plaintiffs were already asking measures against the new Via Laietana and of course in favor of the car.
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However, the overwhelming reaction of a large part of public opinion against the ruling and in favor of preserving this new and spectacular Consell de Cent has pushed back the speech of the plaintiffs who, afraid of the reactions, suddenly they were only asking for “dialogue”. The sentence, which in reality speaks only of the form and not the substance (an alleged, improbable and bizarre breach of the PGM) has been met with opposition from the new Collboni’s government, which has had the decency to appeal without hesitation to this aberration. And it has served to make the clueless who had not yet understood the meaning of the vote of the Comuns on the day of the investiture to realize that Colau could never make the mayor of someone who defended the interests of these plaintiffs.
What this disturbing episode has shown is that Barcelona needs a strong government to defend its praised ‘superilles’ model, because there is only a large majority of the left (PSC, Comuns and ERC) that can guarantee it. All three should be intelligent, flexible and mature enough to agree, overcome old quarrels and understand the transcendent moment in which we find ourselves. The new Barcelona that has just been born is in danger. Now we know that there are those who are willing to do anything to return to the past.