Antoni Bassas' analysis: '3.2 billion for El Prat, the Renfe escalators in Plaça Catalunya aren't working'

It's the news of the day: President Isla pushes ahead with the expansion of El Prat airportThe Government and Aena have reached an agreement Extend a track by 600 meters: 540 meters on the corner of Prat, next to Ricarda, and 60 meters on the Gavà side, in the Remolar area.

That's why the expansion is opposed by the El Prat City Council, while being very well received by the Gavà City Council. Environmentalists oppose it, while business leaders support it.

The agreement between the government and the majority-state company Aena is not sufficient to carry out the works. Isla must seek votes, which she doesn't have now, because the Comuns (Communists) don't want the expansion, and ERC (European Left) makes it contingent on the Generalitat (Catalan government) joining Aena's government in Catalonia, while Junts (Junts), which is in favor, is in the opposition. And (not least) the EU can also say that the expansion is not a good idea. environmentally sustainable.

President Illa is consistent: if months ago he presented his plan for Catalonia to regain its economic leadership, he needs an airport better connected to the world and it is evident that the expansions to El Prat have been positive so far.

For example: Will this expansion bring more tourists? Well, no, thank you. As someone said, in Barcelona we have tourists who land at the hotel door;

Don't miss this article today by economist Miquel Puig, who is in favor of enlargement, but warns"The question is whether the government promoting it has a development model for Catalonia that focuses on GDP per capita and not GDP; and the latter is only possible not if tourism stops growing, but if it declines. Only within a broader economic plan does the expansion now proposed make sense." In other words, what's the point of increasing Catalonia's wealth if it's not then distributed? GDP has increased by 50% in 25 years, but the income of a Barcelona resident who rents has dropped by 33%. And the same has happened in the Balearic Islands. Therefore, expansion equals general well-being is not true.

We have the AP-7 jammed, and Rodalies, I have to explain to you that it's not that the trains aren't running properly, which they don't always run, but that neither the stairs nor the elevators are working. The stairs at Plaça Catalunya station are still broken. And we want to go from 55 million passengers at El Prat to 70 million?

This expansion makes sense, but let's not forget what's behind it. In other words, why is the State so interested in investing €3.2 billion in Catalonia? Because it expects a large return: it will build an airport city, a logistics park, hotels, restaurants, and offices. Okay, an investment expects a return, but we don't think the State is doing us a big favor (with our money). We don't know how much money El Prat makes Aena because Aena doesn't give the figure. The last time it did, 10 years ago, El Prat generated more than half of Aena's profits. Of course they want to make it grow.

They want to expand it and continue to have exclusive control. Is Isla trying to give the Generalitat more influence in Aena's governance in Catalonia? There are still many unanswered questions.

Good morning.