Spain’s Catalan business association, Foment del Treball, unveiled on Tuesday in Madrid the new Madrid office that will operate as its formal delegation in the capital. Leading the delegation will be attorney Paco Hiraldo, serving as the main point of contact for the federation in Madrid. This move formalizes what is effectively a Madrid branch of the Barcelona-based Society of Economic and Social Studies (SBEES) within Foment del Treball, with Hiraldo acting as the Madrid representative of the Catalan employers’ group.
“This is not about Catalans versus others. It is about Catalans collaborating with Catalans”, stated Josep Sánchez Llibre, president of Foment del Treball, at a press event held in the Miraflores Palace. From now on, the Madrid headquarters stands just a short distance from the Congress of Deputies. Sánchez Llibre emphasized that Catalan business leaders aim to help steer Spain’s economy with humility, yet with clear ambition and strong enthusiasm. He stressed that the purpose of the new Madrid office is to promote and guide discussions on public economic and business matters, while avoiding interference in political lobbying, a role that falls under the purview of the national employers’ federation, CEOE, in conjunction with its broader agenda.
“Political influence in the Congress belongs to CEOE. Our objective is to complement the substantial lobbying work already conducted by CEOE, and we have proceeded with the full backing of CEOE and its president Antonio Garamendi”, Sánchez Llibre remarked during the news briefing. He appeared alongside Félix Riera, director of SBEES, and Paco Hiraldo, the Madrid delegate for SBESS. He added, “The Barcelona Society is a think-tank, not a lobbying operation.”
Initially, the Barcelona Society of Economic and Social Studies has planned a series of talks and debates focused on shaping the model for 21st-century cities. On that same day, a roundtable was scheduled with the mayors of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; and Valencia, María José Catalá, in an event attended by the presidents of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, and Cepyme, Gerardo Cuerva. The session underscored a shared agenda among business leaders and municipal leaders regarding urban development, governance, and the responsibilities that accompany rapid urban growth.