"In this new phase, we do not think a Catalan unity government is convenient. We must consolidate the institutions and accustom the country to the presidency of the Generalitat, but the time has come to govern". He probably did not imagine he would do so for 23 consecutive years, but the day after the 1980 elections, a triumphant Jordi Pujol was already beginning to envision that his main mission should be the creation of autonomous Catalonia. This year marks 46 years since Pujol was invested president, and it so happens that he has now been out of government for as many years as he spent at the head of the Generalitat.

"The proposed organic law establishing the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia and repealing Organic Law 4/1979, of December 18, on the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, was approved by 120 votes in favor and 15 votes against."

"You have a problem and that problem is called 3%." With this phrase, Pasqual Maragall shook up Catalan politics exactly twenty years ago in a speech as president of the Generalitat from the Parliament. It was February 24, 2005 and a special plenary session was being held following the The collapse in the Carmel of Barcelona after an accident during the construction of the tunnel for metro line 5, which caused a political crisis in the country. After an episode of tension and accusations of disrespect between the president and the head of the opposition, Artur Mas, he exploded, accusing CiU of corruption in the awarding of public works contracts. How did this condition the political scene and how was it experienced in the chamber?

Barcelona City Council's Urban planning team is in the middle of unprecedented negotiations this week: the extension of the concession to five large hotels in the city, among which is the gigantic Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos I on Avinguda Diagonal. The concession ends 20 years from now and, if no extension is agreed, the owners of these hotels will have to hand over the keys to the establishment to Barcelona City Council, which will become the owner of the site and the hotel. This was agreed in 1991, when land intended for public facilities was rezoned to allow the building of large hotels, a plan known as Clau 10. This urban planning alteration - which mortgaged an important part of public space - was justified because hotels had to be built urgently for the 1992 Olympic Games, according to the municipal government of the time. "The Hotel Plan was practically an obsession of Mayor Pasqual Maragall", explains a former collaborator of his at the time. In fact, the plan was known at the time as "Maragall's Hotel Plan". Besides the Fairmont King Juan Carlos I, the other establishments that would also become City council property are the Hotel Plaza (in Plaç Espanya), the Hotel Fira Palace (on Rius i Taulet) and the Alimara (in Vall d'Hebron). The outcome of this negotiation will have a great impact for all of them and their workers, but also for all citizens, since at stake is the possibility of recovering a lot of public space in a city where it is difficult to find an inch of unused land.

It has taken him three votes, but finally Pere Aragonès has been invested as 132nd president president of the Generalitat with 74 votes in favour. A figure that places him directly on the podium of the presidents with more parliamentary support. Not even two months ago, the ERC candidate beat the record in reverse: he became the presidential candidate with the fewest votes in favour in history, 42.