Núria Gil Sisó: The last signature in the guestbook of some of the towns I've visited was still that of President Pujol.

LleidaJust over a year ago, Núria Gil (Soses, 1981) left the Lleida Provincial Council to take up the position of delegate of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) in the Lleida district. At the provincial level, she was the coordinator of the PSC (Socialist Party of Catalonia) group, and she moved to the regional administration with little more experience than that of her hometown council.

A psychology graduate with a postgraduate degree in financial advising. How does this translate to political responsibility?

— Years ago, in a job interview for a position at a bank, I was asked what a psychologist did in the financial sector. Over time, I realized the answer was quite simple: it's about listening, analyzing, and making decisions. From the financial world, I can learn the rigor needed to analyze figures, budgets, and projects. From psychology, I learn the ability to understand, empathize, and find solutions.

Are you applying it?

— I support mayors in their daily work, so that they can take advantage of all the resources offered by the Generalitat in the territory and that these resources continue to translate into improvements in the quality of life of their residents.

How many municipalities in Lleida have you visited since taking office last year?

— All

Caram. And from now on, what?

— I'm familiar with the needs of the local councils, but we also have many other third-sector organizations with specific requirements. I'm focusing heavily on these now. I'm also going to meet with both large and small businesses to understand their realities. In fact, President Illa asked us delegates to be his eyes and ears on the ground.

President Illa declared during his inauguration that he would implement the third major transformation of Catalonia. What does this entail? Has it been achieved?

— The new government's objective was to address people's real problems with effective policies. And to do so thoughtfully, without rushing, establishing dialogue, building trust, and moving away from confrontation.

This means putting the national question on the back burner, right?

— We haven't diminished its importance. What's happened is that we've given it the importance it deserves. We try to put everything in its proper place. The issue of identity is there, but it's not a blindfold. Let's think beyond that, and above all, about the needs of the country.

How does this affect the Speaker?

— We've changed our perspective, our way of understanding all municipalities, especially the smaller ones. We must focus on ensuring that our region doesn't suffer the inequalities we're currently experiencing. The goal is that in the future we can work towards a system where everyone, regardless of where they live, has the same opportunities.

Give me an example.

— Managing the agricultural campaign is one of them. It affects many municipalities that see their population double with people of limited means, and we believe we must focus on this. But we also need to talk about the importance of the Torre Blanca industrial park, the intermodal station that will handle 12,000 trains annually, the management of the commuter rail service starting in January, the announcement of new positions for the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police force)...

There are other examples, such as the future Eix de les Garrigues, which has faced difficulties in reaching a consensus with the local councils…

— The Provincial Council, the Generalitat (Catalan Government), and the villages of Les Garrigues Altes have already reached an agreement to improve three important sections of road: between Torrebesses and Castelldans, between La Granadella and El Soleràs, and the road between Bellaguarda and Els Torms. Any initial reservations regarding the latter were resolved after we committed to assuming responsibility for its maintenance for five years.

So, is the perception of inequality in Lleida on the path to fading away?

— Many things have changed and we are working on it, but it should be reflected in about eight years.

Why has there been this historical feeling of inferiority?

— In recent months, I've visited many small villages with very few inhabitants, and in their guestbook I saw that the last signature was that of President Pujol! That says it all.

What do you say?

— These are villages that no one has visited, that no one has asked what they needed.

Like what?

— I'll answer with another example. I went to Sant Guim de la Plana, where one of its outlying villages still lacked internet access. We managed to get fiber optic cable in just four months. There are towns that depend on this to avoid depopulation, to attract people to work there.

Will the inequalities with the rural world be alleviated by the Statute of the Rural Municipality?

— We brought it to a vote without changing a single comma. We believe in the project because it is essential that we have a law that takes into account all these small municipalities, from a very broad perspective, beyond political affiliations.

But now it must be implemented…

— In fact, we have already begun to implement policies that promote the equity championed by the Statute. These include the creation of the rural Incasòl (National Institute of Land Use Planning), a rural housing fund, the neighborhood plan, tax measures, and local cooperation funds. We must also bear in mind that 45% of the municipalities in our region, which is 67 in total, have fewer than 500 inhabitants.

What are the recipes for keeping people in the territory?

— The goal is to have all basic services covered. It's understandable that we can't have a doctor's office in every municipality, but we can have good transportation connections.

Many regions complain about poor public transport.

— It's true we need to be more precise, but that means we need more money available and approved budgets. The will is there, and the solution to this injustice involves incorporating on-demand transportation. We will try to fund it as much as we can.

Equality policies, one of the priorities of the former delegate in Lleida, now seem to have been shelved…

— No, they haven't been shelved. They were previously led by the same delegation, but to give them the importance they deserve, I transferred them to the Department of Equality and Feminism so they can continue working. In any case, equality policies are now more distributed across all departments, not just one. Equality must be applied to all areas; it must become the norm.

How does it help that the Catalan government and the Spanish government now have the same political affiliation?

— The first thing I want to say is that the government governs for everyone. This is the first thing that needs to be clear. This alignment between institutions translates into greater cohesion and protection, and a greater capacity to respond to the needs of the citizens. Politics is not just what you do, but when you do it and why you do it. By this I mean that we work to prevent, protect, and anticipate problems.

And we also have the same color in the houses of Lleida, Cervera and Balaguer.

— The fact that these municipal governments share the same vision means that projects don't need to be renegotiated. We have the same goal and we're making progress. When institutions share the idea that politics should serve to protect and provide opportunities for the region, everyone wins.

Have you thought about how long your involvement in active politics will last?

— Political involvement has been a constant in my life. I started as a volunteer with the Red Cross, which was my dream when I was young, but it later led to me becoming a councilwoman in my town. The idea is to help make everyday life easier for my people. Now I have the opportunity to do so as a delegate, but I can continue to do it from another perspective.