Sílvia Romero Galera: A large part of the tourist landscape has been shaped by extensive livestock farming

TrempThe mayor of Tremp has worked for thirty years as a Catalan teacher. She began in municipal politics in 2007 and, when she became a deputy in the Parliament of Catalonia last term, she requested a compulsory leave of absence which she extended after the 2024 elections, when she was appointed delegate of the Generalitat in Alt Pirineu i Aran.

Salvador Illa presented his investiture as the beginning of Catalonia's “third great transformation”. Have the main objectives been achieved?

— Well, we haven't reached two years of this fact yet, but what is clear is that the Government's disposition and way of doing things and its perspective are now radically different.

In what sense?

— It's a look at the territory. Now we are on the ground in a present and continuous way.

Has been noticed in any aspect?

— In a transformative vision of administration. First of all, in the interest of simplifying it. A point has been reached where procedures and management are very cumbersome and work is being done to make it more agile, more useful, and faster.

What else has been acted upon?

— By giving tools to municipalities to be able to attack and face the issues that have been burning for a long time.

As what?

— Shock plans have been launched, such as the one for sports facilities. Or the one for schools, in which 2.4 million have been directly allocated to town councils so that they can carry out basic works. We will do it together and provide the resources to act. The idea behind this transformation by the president is shared prosperity.

In administrative improvement, I suppose the Statute of Rural Municipalities will play an important role, even if it comes from the previous government…

— Yes, completely agree. It is this look that was directed towards the local world, which listens to the local world since the last legislature. I, as a deputy, was able to participate in its creation together with the true drivers of the initiative, which are municipalist entities, micropopulations, and the tools for repopulation and municipal research.

A serious problem in rural areas, and especially in the Pyrenees, is the lack of housing and, above all, due to the enormous supply of tourist apartments. Is it being resolved?

— This issue has been faced, not only because it is a problem in the Pyrenees, but throughout Catalonia. In some places it can be attributed to tourist housing, in other places to second homes, and in others, there are other situations. It is also attributed to the lack of construction for decades, during which there has been no remarkable real estate development.

Let's focus, in any case, on tourist homes. Has the offer been regulated?

— In the autumn of 2023, Parliament ratified the decree-law that set a cap for all of Catalonia of ten tourist homes per one hundred inhabitants. From here, the city councils could promote an urbanistic modification, as Tremp has done, with a downward cap to two tourist homes per one hundred inhabitants. This has been in effect for many months and we see that homes are being deregistered. Many other municipalities in the Pyrenees are undertaking this same process.

But we will not deny that tourism has created this situation in the mountain regions.

— We are doing surgical work to try to promote new housing, updating developments, buildings and plots ceded by Sareb or, even, by the Church. Municipalities can also request aid from the Generalitat to rehabilitate flats, to be allocated to rent in rural areas. The way to update urban planning regulations has been facilitated and simplified, so that housing can be legalized or construction can take place where it was not possible until now.

Regarding the economic model, activist Vanesa Freixa once assured me that 80% of the Pyrenean economy is linked to tourism and this dependence contaminates the rest of the sectors. Do you agree?

— No. Probably in Pallars Sobirà and Cerdanya tourism has an important weight and work is also being done on economic diversification. But in other regions, the agricultural sector or the services sector have an important weight, or other sectors may regain prominence such as construction, in relation to what we said before. I do not accept that the administration is only focused on the tourism sector, and that is why we try to ensure that those sectors that have a singularity and a very strong presence in all areas can move forward.

In any case, how do we solve the problem of mass tourism?

— It is true that tourism, and especially its de-seasonality, is an issue that needs to be advanced with a diversification of other economic sectors that can gain more power. This can apply to Pallars Sobirà, but not in a decisive way either. Its extensive livestock farming is a jewel that we try to protect.

Is the intensive livestock farming model being imposed to the detriment of small family businesses?

— Extensive livestock farming is a banner for the Pyrenees, especially sheep. It has suffered a severe crisis and 70% of farms have closed. We have been working for years to promote lamb, because it is an essential element of our territory. What we would like is for this tourism that visits us to accept this product with complete naturalness and increase its consumption. Much of the landscape we have has been shaped by extensive livestock farming and agriculture. If we want to enjoy it, we must accept one of the main elements that make it possible.

The crisis is partly attributed to the reintroduction of the brown bear in the Pyrenees, which has been heavily criticized by livestock organizations. Are efforts being made with them to reach coexistence solutions?

— Evidently, wild fauna is a serious threat to livestock, which is exposed to attacks. And we also have game fauna, the main transmitter of diseases. I understand that farmers feel helpless, despite the measures that have been put in place to alleviate it. More ways are being sought to manage it and support them, apart from other problems they may have, such as prices in marketing and pastures in times of drought. The problems are accumulating and this causes anguish and rejection, of course.

Let's change the subject. As a philologist and sociolinguistics expert, what is your analysis of the regression of Catalan usage in rural areas, and what tools do we have to reverse it?

— I believe that this government is getting down to business on this issue. Not going any further, our head of linguistic policy is now an academic who faces the problem directly and bravely, analyzing and highlighting the phenomenon of immigration or the linguistic attitude of young people. The mechanisms are failing and until now we were falling asleep. Now we are laying the foundations to work with the national pact for the language. A significant effort is being made with many courses and a lot of work in areas such as justice and health.

To what extent is it possible to combine two such relevant positions as a delegation of the Generalitat and the mayorship?

— With a hundred percent dedication, without free time or holidays. But hey, it's an opportunity for public service. I am aware that this is only for a season and, if at this time I have the chance to do these two responsibilities, I will dedicate all the time necessary. Obviously, one never walks alone. There are teams and we move forward with everyone's sacrifice.

Assume two positions of great responsibility, of very visible political level. I don't know to what extent it is compatible.

— I want to remember that this, in politics, is very frequent and it is compatible. I don't know if you would ask this of a man.

I suppose so. In fact, I would like to assess the presence of two women simultaneously occupying the two delegations of Ponent and Pirineu. Is it a coincidence or a deliberate decision.

— It is a statement of intent. Regarding government delegates, in Catalonia there is currently an equality between men and women and what needs to be done is also to make visible the role of women in the highest political responsibilities. It is a very important issue for us, but it is also a reflection of the municipal world, which with the electoral law incorporated very many women and which now has it as a fortunately normal issue.

But it is not yet normal in the rest of the spheres of society.

— The world is still patriarchal and, in many cases, unconsciously so among younger generations and collective attitudes. This is where it is hardest for it to advance, but everything needs its time and I add that it is inexorable.