Carlos Vilarrubí and the sense of power

Above all, power is the will to exercise it, and Carles Vilarrubí, died prematurely this SundayHe conceived his professional life as a mission in which he was the one in command.

The authoritative air I noticed from the first day remained with him throughout his career. In August 1985, he was the general secretary of Catalunya Ràdio and took charge of the negotiations to bring Puyal into the broadcasts of Catalonia's national radio station, a process that wasn't immediate. Just two months ago, he called me to ask me to participate in an event for the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition. In the 40 years that have passed, Vilarrubí, whether in business, at Barça, or with the ACGN, has always been a figure of authority.

He participated in the early stages of the Generalitat after Pujol's first victory in 1980, a time when Catalonia had emerged from decades of violent exclusion from political power and leadership skills were needed to consolidate this new authority and transform it into a lasting and unquestionable structure. Vilarrubí was the right person for that moment, just as he was an irreplaceable institutional vice-president of FC Barcelona, after having stipulated that he wanted nothing to do "with money or signings." In recent years, Vilarrubí was bringing people of differing viewpoints together at the same gastronomic table, no small feat in a Catalonia shaken by the post-independence process.

The Catalan archetype of the man of action, the individualist with his own agenda and a sense of national duty, has always been abundant in this country. But having ideas or contacts is one thing; having the leverage to make them a reality, playing in the top international league of economic and social relations, is quite another. In this respect, Carles Vilarrubí's personality was unique. May he rest in peace.