BarcelonaIt is time to say goodbye to our friend Lluís Reverter. He has left us unexpectedly. He leaves a void in the hearts of those of us who have come to love him and appreciate his political and personal virtues. To enter politics and have the good fortune to cross paths with people of Reverter's caliber is priceless. It allows me to say loud and clear that this is what gives politics its true meaning.
Lluís dedicated himself to politics as a natural continuation of his work as a community activist. That's how I met him during the Tarradellas administration: he and his colleagues were advocating for the B-30 toll-free zone; I was the Minister of Public Works. They, tenacious and persuasive, succeeded.
He wasn't involved in community activism, nor later in politics, for personal gain. On the contrary, what interested him then, and always more, has been public service. Discreetly. With joy, optimism, and good humor.
He participated in the candidacy I led for mayor of Barcelona and joined my cabinet. And we did a very good job. I can't imagine that adventure without Lluís. Always attentive to finding solutions to problems, however complex they were. Always willing to talk, to discuss, to explore consensus, tireless, persistent until we found the path to agreement and collaboration. We wanted, first and foremost, democracy. Then we worked in Madrid to contribute to its consolidation.
Lluís the politician has been a wise man. A generous and hardworking wise man. Some might think that a shopkeeper wouldn't be the most suitable person to assume the complex responsibilities he held throughout his life. Quite the contrary, the shopkeeper from Sarrià has been an example of a good politician. A person who, from his profession, from his knowledge of the street and the neighborhood, from the social sensitivity that always guided him, has left a deep and exemplary mark. In the institutions, in his neighborhood, and within his party, the PSC.
I can attest to how important his role has been in the success of the military reforms undertaken by the democracy of this country. He faced problems with courage, frankly, but without ever losing respect for those he was speaking with. With affability, but also with authority. This is how he was able to resolve little-known episodes of our recent history. I recall now his handling of the return of the remains of Alfonso XIII, the farewell to the Count of Barcelona, and that of the IOC President Josep Antoni Samaranch, to name a few.
Working with a person with the human qualities and capabilities that Lluís Reverter has demonstrated in more than 45 years of public service has been a privilege. I am very grateful.
Rest in peace, Lluís.
