Hangover morning on the second day of the meeting of the Circle of Economy. Not because there were unspeakable excesses the night before, but because many Catalans were still trying to digest Madrid’s comeback in the Champions League.
The big event of the day is the presentation of the José Manuel Lara business awards, but not so much for the content, but for the visit of King Felipe, whose arrival imposes strict security measures. The top leaders of the Circle, along with some authorities and sponsors, take a family photo with the king, with theskyline Barcelona in the background and, at the end, Felip assures that they should “be there”, and points out the beach that is right there. Indeed, a few meters from so many ties there are people sunbathing, unaware of what is happening. Everyone laughs and Marc Puig makes some reference to the Copa América that will be held in these waters two years from now. Then they all head to the main hall that hosts the event, where the king’s entrance is greeted with a standing ovation.
This is the third time that the King of Spain has visited the meeting of the Circle, and the second in a row. “Sir, a big thank you for your presence,” said Javier Faus, president of the Circle. But it is perhaps the king who is most grateful to have such a reception. In his speech, Felip alternates some words in Catalan and says goodbye with a “see you soon“, which is not clear if it means coming to the Circle meeting every year.
At the exit, the king says goodbye, shaking hands with all those in the front row, and the president of Pimec, Antoni Cañete, who is further back, sits down between the chairs to stretch his arm and reach out. he shakes Philip’s hand. He finally gets it. The surprising thing is that during the lunch on the right that is a posteriori, the king makes an appearance again and shakes hands – accompanied by Faus, who introduces him to everyone – to the people he meets.
The public of these days is varied, but there are regular suspects, such as the ex-councilor Germà Gordó. Also new faces, such as former Minister Fátima Báñez, now an employee of the CEOE, who accompanies its president, Antonio Garamendi. Or César González-Bueno, who has just been CEO of Sabadell for a year. In the morning, the banker walks around the hotel reception greeting some acquaintances with Airpods headphones and an iPad against his chest. When someone asks him what he does with the Airpods on, he teaches them that he is actually participating in a virtual meeting. Telework stuff.
In one of the sessions, business leaders from Catalonia, Madrid and the Basque Country come together. Josep Sánchez Llibre, president of Foment, charges hard against Ada Colau (this is less and less news) and claims the right of citizens to be able to take the car and drive around Barcelona “when they feel like it”. He also demands that Pedro Sánchez do “the same thing as Zapatero with the wealth tax: eliminate it.” Zapatero, by the way, got it back a few years later, when the financial crisis hit. Llibre believes that if wealth is eliminated and “inheritance tax is harmonized downwards”, “an important part of the political conflict between the autonomous communities” will end. Leaving the event, the president of Fomento crosses paths with Javier Faus and tells him: “You won’t complain, I’ve talked about the wealth tax”.
Finally, a detail. In another session, Maite Barrera (future president of Barcelona Global) asked José María Álvarez-Pallete (Telefónica) if she had bought a plot on the metavers, and José Ignacio Goirigolzarri (CaixaBank) if he had bought cryptocurrencies. They both respond with a monosyllable: “No.” And Pallete warns that citizens are “digital vassals” of the big tech companies by giving them data without compensation. We are warned.