The Barcelona chip that would be impossible in Madrid

BarcelonaIn his final words as mayor of Barcelona during the 1997 Mercè festival, Pasqual Maragall asserted that somewhere in his heart there would be "a chip forever connected to his city." If we were to dismantle this chip today to analyze its components, we would surely find many of the same ingredients present in the event held this Wednesday at Barcelona City Hall, where the city's Gold Medal was awarded to the four mayors who succeeded the Olympic mayor: Joan Clos, Jordi Hereu, and Xavier. A mix of political traditions and visions that ultimately represents the main ingredient of this chip. One that cannot be found in Madrid.

This was corroborated by Jordi Hereu, who, as Minister of Industry, now spends quite a few days in the Spanish capital, where polarization is at its peak. "An event like this afternoon's would not be easy to organize there," he admitted. Trias, who acknowledged that the idea of this common recognition initially didn't appeal to him, also noted that "elsewhere" such an act would not be possible and ended up finding it "especially beautiful" to share this distinction with other former mayors of the city whom he said he appreciates. "In the end, I loved Colau and everything," he quipped.

The current mayor, Jaume Collboni, summed up this capacity for understanding by referring to a conversation between Josep Tarradellas and the city's first mayor after the return of democracy, Narcís Serra—present at the tribute today, along with Pasqual Maragall's daughters—from which they are working for their successors. "Everyone has tried and is trying to leave Barcelona better than we found it," he emphasized.

Because esteem in Barcelona would undoubtedly be another key ingredient of this chip made in Maragall, still today the mayor with the greatest impact on the Catalan capital. A love that, as Trias and Colau have emphasized, often puts the city before his family. Even today, with everyone already out of City Hall, Hereu has had to celebrate his 32nd wedding anniversary alongside what, he said, is his other great marriage and his passion: the city.

A gallery of portraits

Despite the harmony, the award winners' speeches also captured each winner's distinct perspective. Clos broadened the international outlook and championed the Forum of Cultures; Hereu focused on proximity, recalling some of the residents he worked with during his mayoralty; Trias called for dialogue and agreement over "confrontation and mistrust," and Colau raised the most combative and activist banner with mentions of many of them.

It was the culmination of a long afternoon, which had begun hours earlier with a fellowship lunch between the four award winners and the current mayor at City Hall. Afterwards, all of them—in addition to Narcís Serra and the daughters of Pasqual Maragall, the two former mayors who already received the city's Gold Medal—participated in the opening of a gallery in front of the Sala del Bon Govern (Good Government Hall), where the official portraits of former mayors Serra, Maragall, Clos, and Her have been hanging since this Wednesday. A quick look back at more than 46 years of Barcelona City Council's history.