On November 21, the Social Hub of Barcelona hosted the second day of Ciudad Europa 2024, organized by the Catalunya Europa Foundation. The session brought together experts, institutional representatives and committed citizens to debate the role of Catalonia within the European strategy and jointly face the great challenges of the future.
Dolors Camats, director of the Foundation, opened the day by emphasizing that Europe is at a decisive crossroads: the need to unite efforts to take a leap forward and avoid setbacks that put at risk the social, economic and political advances achieved so far.
Common market and competitiveness: opportunities and risks
The first round table, moderated by Lara Malvesí, revolved around the Letta and Draghi reports, which define the basis for a more integrated internal market and a strengthened competitiveness strategy for the period 2024-2029. Judith Arnal, researcher at the Real Instituto Elcano, offered a detailed presentation on the key points of these reports, highlighting opportunities and risks for Catalonia.
The subsequent debate, with the participation of Francesc Trillas (Generalitat de Catalunya), Joan Pera (PIMEC) and Albert Ferrer (CCOO Catalunya), explored how these proposals could impact sectors such as the economy, business and the labor market. The public, especially involved in this session, enriched the discussions with comments and diverse perspectives, making it clear that any analysis of these reports must consider multiple points of view.
Gerard Vives, director general of Union Europea y Acción Exterior, concluded this table with a reflection on the need to align local and regional policies with European objectives.
Articulating sovereignties: multiscalar governance
The second block of the morning focused on how to address global challenges through governance models that combine local and global scales. Marc Parés, Pasqual Maragall Legacy Award 2024, presented his research project, which connects the values ??of pluralist federalism with the current needs of shared sovereignty. The dialogue with Laura Calvet, sustainability researcher, explored how to combine global and local perspectives to build governance models that effectively involve citizens and institutions.
Urbanism against segregation
The afternoon was dedicated to urban planning as a tool to combat segregation. Sergio Porcel, Lluís Esteve and Ariadna Martínez presented experiences and models of success to regenerate neighborhoods in vulnerable situations. The need to coordinate administrations and involve the neighbors was identified as a key factor for the success of urban regeneration policies.
