A cry for help from businesses and yet another standing ovation in Oliu

BarcelonaFollowing the failure of BBVA's takeover bid for Banc Sabadell, Josep Oliu has received widespread acclaim. The latest accolades, including the Businessman of the Year Medal of Honor, were bestowed on Tuesday evening at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC), during the eighteenth Carles Ferrer Salat Awards presented by Fomento del Trabajo. There, the president of the Catalan bank was applauded "for having been the driving force behind this benchmark, with national and international reach," according to the employers' association. Banco Sabadell, in fact, received two awards on this evening of business gatherings: the Medal of Honor for Business Trajectory was awarded to Pedro Fontana, chairman of the board of directors of Areas and also vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Vallès-based bank. Undoubtedly, yet another cry of victory in the face of the failed BBVA takeover bid, which the employers' association chaired by Josep Sánchez Llibre had already openly opposed, and which it has now celebrated with these awards before more than 800 attendees at a packed TNC.

"I've been with Sabadell for almost 35 years and I've seen it go through many transformations to get where it is today: the fourth largest bank in Spain," explained Oliu. "In 2024 the bank achieved record profits and in 2025 it reached its highest share price ever, but I suppose they're not giving me the award for that," joked Oliu, earning the support of the employers' associations in the context of the BBVA takeover bid. "If Banco Sabadell didn't exist, Catalonia would be crippled," he asserted.

A cry for respect for business.

Sánchez Llibre took the opportunity to issue a plea for help regarding business reputation: "Too often, business owners are pilloried and treated like presumed criminals," he said, "despite the fact that it is businesses and the self-employed who generate wealth, employment, and opportunities." In this regard, and aside from his usual demands—"eliminating taxes that discourage investment," "eliminating the mandatory 30% quota for social housing in Barcelona and opting for tax incentives that stimulate supply," and the expansion of El Prat airport, among others—he added that "business activity is being called for" and that "the essential and constitutional right to private property be defended."

Sánchez Llibre made this demand before figures such as the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa; the President of the Parliament, Josep Rull; the Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero; the Minister of Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper; the Minister of European Union and Foreign Action, Jaume Duch; and the President of the Barcelona Provincial Council, Lluïsa Moret, among others. The President of Foment del Treball pointed out that Catalans have "less disposable income than the European average," which means that "the bulk of the middle and working classes are becoming impoverished." "Part of the solution lies in the creation of good jobs," he said.

In turn, President Illa warned during his closing speech that "the best economic policy is the one that reduces inequalities," and that this objective "must also be at the core of the country's business and social fabric." He also acknowledged that the failed takeover bid for Sabadell "has been good news for Catalonia," and highlighted the inauguration of the hub AstraZeneca's representative in Barcelona said: "Prosperity requires stability, and Catalonia is now a place prepared for prosperity." He also asserted that "Catalonia has returned to the world stage," with business decision-making centers and Barcelona hosting major international events.

More award winners

The employers' association also bestowed exceptional recognition upon former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, author of the Letta Report, with the Extraordinary Medal for Contribution to the European Project, "for becoming one of the most respected and influential voices in contemporary European thought and construction." Finally, Foment del Treball also awarded Control Demeter the Sustainable Development prize, Alsa the Equality prize, AstraZeneca the Innovation prize, Paulig and Relatos the Internationalization prize, and the Itaca Educational Association and Idilia - ColaCao Foundation the Response of the Year prize.