Collboni fails for the fifth time in the midst of an open war with Junts over bricks and mortar

Junts, BComú, PP, and Vox join forces in the fifth such vote since he took office in 2023.

Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni (PSC) was reprimanded this Friday for the fifth time by the plenary since taking office just over two years ago. In any case, this situation will have no practical consequences, given the impossibility of the opposition forces uniting their votes to oust him from power.

Despite this, the political significance of the vote is evident, not only because of the number of times it has been rejected, but also because of the context, in the midst of an open war between the PSC and Junts.

Both parties hold a majority in the plenary session and support reforming a measure promoted by former mayor Ada Cola in 2018 that has paralyzed the construction sector. This requires developers to reserve 30% of their apartments for the government, both in new construction and major renovations.

Junts is demanding a reduction in property tax as its main counterpart, something the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) flatly rejects. The exchange of criticism between the first deputy mayor, Socialist Laia Bonet , and Junts councilor Jordi Martí reflected the complete lack of mutual understanding between the two parties, which caused deep concern among the business community.

Thus, Foment del Treball and APCE —which represents the promoters—called on the neo-Convergents and socialists to come to an agreement, in the words of their respective presidents, Josep Sánchez Llibre and Xavier Vilajoana. The latter considered it "absolutely intolerable that no agreement has been reached after three years of work by many people and that, when it was closer than ever, the negotiations have broken down."