Ricard, born in Sant Cugat del Vallès, has lived in Bellaterra for 50 years. At 27, he bought a plot of land and built a house, like many of the residents of this town, part of Cerdanyola del Vallès, which originated in the 1930s when wealthy families from Barcelona and Sant Cugat built summer villas. The children of those families stayed, and in the 1970s, new residents arrived who, like Ricard, began to build their lives and witnessed the founding of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Despite some attempts to become an independent municipality, a third option prevailed: in 2009, the residents succeeded in having themselves recognized as a decentralized municipal entity (EMD), with their own government. However, this status was not enough to pacify Bellaterra, which in 2015... It held an independence referendum where the 'yes' vote won with 94% of the supportThe plan foundered when Parliament vetoed the secession. Following this setback, a residents' committee initiated proceedings to join neighboring Sant Cugat, a process that is now gaining momentum despite staunch opposition from the Cerdanyola City Council, which warns it will fight to avoid losing the territory. "It's normal that they resist. They don't want to lose the goose that lays the golden eggs. And Sant Cugat is letting itself be courted," Ricard summarized in ARA.