Xavier Panés is confirmed as the sole candidate for the presidency of Cecot

BarcelonaThe president of the Terrassa-based employers' association Cecot, Xavier Panés, has been confirmed as the sole candidate in the entity's elections. As reported by the Vallesana association this Wednesday, Panés's was the only proposal submitted during the formalization period, which concluded on Tuesday. The list has the backing of 100% of the Cecot assembly's endorsements, well above the 25% threshold required for anyone seeking the presidency.

The Egarenc businessman informed the assembly of his, with the aim of "providing continuity and consolidating the organizational, strategic, and institutional positioning changes" he has implemented in the last four years., who on Tuesday began his third term at the helm of the Catalan organization, also without an electoral rival.With the confirmation of Panés's list, the employers' association opens a period for objections that will last until next Tuesday, May 26. If there is no response from the associates, the president will revalidate his mandate without opposition on June 3. With the entirety of the assembly members in his favor, the current leader of Cecot virtually guarantees a second four-year term.More endorsements than in 2022

Panés accessed the presidency of Cecot in the summer of 2022. At that time, also without opposition, he managed to gather the endorsements of about 78% of the members of the employers' association assembly. Four years later, he has further expanded his internal influence. The metallurgical entrepreneur, CEO of the companies Tecmesy Ibérica and Heyac SL, then succeeded the historic Antoni Abad, who left the Vallesana business association after dedicating 17 years to it.

Alongside him during the first four years at Cecot was the general secretary, Oriol Alba; just as Abad kept David Garrofé as his right-hand man throughout his term at the Terrassa-based entity.

In line with the rest of the employers' associations in the Principality, Panés has based his discourse as president on criticism of an administration that he considered, as he declared on Cecot's last night, "a slow and inefficient machinery, incapable of keeping pace with the economy." He staged his alignment with Foment, recovered by the Egarenses before the pandemic, with his entry as president into the still young Territorial Council of SMEs, the employers' tool that Sánchez Llibre presides over to attend to and organize small and medium-sized enterprises. After two years in office, however, he left it in the hands of Pep Garcia, president of the Unió Empresarial Intersectorial; and he moved on to the vice-presidency of Cepyme, the CEOE organization for small businesses led by Ángela de Miguel.