Guardiola's farewell and Garcia-Milà's audacity

BarcelonaA long round of applause resounded in the auditorium of the Círculo de Economía this Monday afternoon. It was a big day for the institution. Guardiola, a long-time executive in the banking sector who has earned the sympathy of the business and institutional sectors over the past three years at the helm of the Círculo, took stock of his three years in office and thanked the board of directors and the committee for their work during the last term. "We have carried out more than 100 activities, many linked to current issues or news [...]. And we have also seen how younger people have become more involved, although in this institution the concept of young "It's relative," Guardiola joked.

Furthermore, the former banker cannot complain: "coincidences" have made the latest meetings of the Circle the center of attention, mainly due to the coincidence with the announcements of the BBVA takeover bid for Sabadell last year and, this year's takeover bid. At the same time, Guardiola wanted to assert the opinion notes that the institution makes. Garcia-Milà takes over after having been present at practically all the board meetings since 1995, and arrives with a board with continuity but with some new faces"I've been a member of the Círculo de Economía for 30 years; I got involved thanks to Josep Piqué, whom I want to remember, and I get emotional when I do," the professor explained. "Our goal is to strengthen three fundamental pillars: liberal democracy, the free market economy, and the European Union," she recalled.

"At the Círculo, we must help build thinking; we want our opinion pieces to have an impact; that has been the case so far, and we will work to make them more impactful," Garcia-Milà argued. "We will be bold when necessary," she said, recalling that "the Cercle is expected to say what others don't dare to say." A boldness that was rewarded with another long round of applause, which officially welcomed the first female president of the Círculo de Economía.