Optimism in companies' sales forecasts at the Pyrenees Meeting

Urgel HeadquartersOptimism. This is the mood of the business leaders participating in the 36th Business Meeting in the Pyrenees. According to the 2025 Economic Barometer, a survey of attendees to capture business perceptions of the economy and its future, 85.71% of participants have good revenue prospects compared to last year; furthermore, 55.33% of attendees anticipate profit growth compared to 2024. In fact, more than half, 68.52%, plan to create jobs in the next six months.

Regarding risks, the barometer indicates that 78.48% of respondents believe the European Union (EU) should be more autonomous from the United States. In fact, the majority of those surveyed (73.58%) admit that the tariff increase has not affected them so far; 20.75% say it hasn't affected them much, and 5.66% say it has.

According to the president of the Meeting, Josep Serveto, "the results of the barometer reflect the optimism of the business community attending the Meeting, given that more than half expect to have higher profits in their income statements than last year."

The second day of the Meeting in the Pyrenees began with interventions by renowned economic experts. Economists Àngels Fitó and Miquel Puig, former Secretary of Economy of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), offered their views on the current economic outlook. Fitó, a doctor in economics from the University of Barcelona and rector of the UOC, emphasized that we have moved "from uncertainty to fragility" and called for "collective resilience and transformative leadership."

Puig, for his part, warned that the current growth model must change, as it is generating unrest. "From 2000 to 2024, GDP increased very little and disposable income did not increase at all. This growth has benefited those who own real estate and has harmed those who do not. People who do not own real estate and, therefore, pay rent, are much worse off than in 2000."