Ada Colau on subsidies: "I will go very calmly to testify, I have nothing to hide"

The mayor of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau, has assured that she will go to declare "very calm, I have nothing to hide" on March 4, when she is summoned by the judge as investigated by the complaint filed by the Association for Transparency and the Democratic Quality (ATCD) on alleged irregularities in the granting of subsidies to related entities.

During her opening ceremony of the year at the College of Journalists, this Tuesday, the mayor lamented "the intentionality of abuse of justice by certain private actors, such as the most speculative real estate sector when they have run into a government that has stood up to them and they have tried to stop us;

or by proposing that citizens can give their opinion on the public management of water”.

“I reaffirm that it will come to nothing, but I am concerned about corporate powers that do not accept democratic power and try to torpedo it by misusing justice”, she pointed out, “companies that are used to great benefits”.

At another time she has referred to "the private company Agbar and other ghost associations such as the complainant that have put a battery of filed actions" or "a legal battle and

” when considering public water management.

"They are not going to scare us," he settled.

The lawsuit, his possible electoral candidacy or the Winter Olympics have been the other big topics of an act that years ago had a conference format and now questions to the mayor, first by the dean of the college, Joan Maria Morros, and after college.

During the event, Colau also announced a plan endowed with 23 million euros over the next two years to universalize extracurricular activities, which not all families can afford and are a factor of inequality.

Colau has listed other programs that educational centers have at the center, such as the Neighborhood Plan, the Protect schools or climate shelters and has highlighted "the importance of schools for cohesion and the fight against inequalities". The plan will start with vulnerable neighborhoods in the districts of Nou Barris, Sant Martí and Horta-Guinardó and foresees two legs: helping the universe of entities that organize them (family associations, companies, entities...) and giving scholarships to 2,400 each year. children and youngsters up to 16 years old so that they can do extracurricular activities two days a week. And not only sports, but artistic, scientific or language.

A year and a half before the elections, the leader of Barcelona en comú has assured that she has not yet decided if she will run for mayor for the third time. It will be, he has stated, from May when the organization can begin to debate it. Colau has defended that its management and "city model" is a benchmark in Europe "in key issues of the 21st century" in terms of climate change, mobility, housing or social service or mental health programs and has asked to "deepen what the citizenry asks, with less discussion and polarization.” On the other hand, Elsa Artadi, who has run as a candidate for Junts per Catalunya, has asked herself “what project does she have for Barcelona”.

Regarding the winter games, Colau has acknowledged that he has doubts about their suitability in the midst of a climate emergency: "It causes me doubts, a Winter Olympic Games in the Mediterranean... the Generalitat has commissioned reports and we will be respectful", he assured, before also express “institutional doubts”.

When specifically asked if Barcelona is willing to play a role, she first asked the institutions involved "to talk and when they are clear we will see if Barcelona has a role or not".

“I don't know the project, who is leading it and what role is proposed to us, let's go step by step and with a constructive spirit”.

In any case, she has shown herself willing to “accompany a country project, as is done regularly”.

For example, she has specified: if facilities that the city already has can be used.

Approve afternoon activities

For the project to universalize extracurricular activities, Barcelona City Council will create two bodies.

Internally, an Evening Office.

And together with the sector (from schools to families, passing through educational leisure entities or companies) an Educational Afternoon Table will be created to agree on and work on initiatives.

To begin with, for example, afternoon activities will have to be homologated, as is done with the summer camps.