Socialist Jaume Collboni has assumed the role of Barcelona's mayor following a tumultuous intrigue

As reported by CatalanNews, Collboni, who previously served as deputy mayor, secured the position with the support of left-wing Barcelona en Comú and the conservative People's Party (PP). Together, they formed a majority among the 41 newly elected city council members, with 23 votes in favor.The mayoral election intrigue unfolded on two fronts. Firstly, it determined who would govern the second-largest city in Spain, which is situated in a region with strong separatist sentiments. Secondly, it gauged the level of support the new leader would lend to the incumbent prime minister.

The results yielded unexpected outcomes, indicating a shift away from separatist sentiments in Catalonia. However, it wasn't solely in the realm of high politics that the former mayor Ada Colau lost her position. Another pro-independence candidate, Xavier Trias, also failing to secure the mayoral seat.

Jaume Collboni's victory was attributed to his comprehensive plan to address the housing crisis, which he declared as the primary focus of his term. While progress had been made in Barcelona in this regard, voters were dissatisfied with Ada Colau's eight-year tenure, during which she imposed restrictions on the opening of new hotels in an attempt to curb mass tourism and set stringent goals for social housing.

Collboni's strongest competitor was Xavier Trias, who ran under the "Trias per Barcelona" platform and enjoyed support from the pro-independence group Junts. Trias appeared visibly disappointed during the inauguration ceremony, as his expectations were shattered.

It was Ada Colau who ultimately shattered those expectations when, just 45 minutes before the city council session began, she announced that her party, BComú, would support Collboni. This declaration came as a surprise since it was the first time she publicly endorsed him since the elections on May 28.

The reason behind her decision? According to a statement from the group, "This decision was made to prevent a Junts government that rolls out the red carpet for lobbyists and the business sector, favoring right-wing policies."

However, Collboni needed not only the support of his personal followers and the votes from BComú but also the backing of the People's Party. However, in recent days, the conservatives stated that they would support the Socialists, meaning Collboni, on the condition that the Colau group (BComú) remained in opposition. Colau declared her opposition status, and ultimately, the People's Party ensured Collboni's appointment as mayor.

In summary, for the second consecutive term, a pro-Catalan independence supporter was deprived of the mayor's position. This is the reason why the conservatives, who are political adversaries of the Socialists, supported the Socialist candidate for the mayor's position.

The 76-year-old Catalan nationalist, Trias, failed to secure the mayor's mandate for the second time after his tenure from 2011 to 2015.

Shortly after Collboni's swearing-in, he stated in his inaugural speech that he had the "honest intention to be the mayor of all residents." He emphasized that "Barcelona will become the first city to apply the Spanish housing law," referring to the legislative act passed by Spain in April, which limits rent increases.

Furthermore, according to his words, the capital of Catalonia should be at the forefront of the fight against climate change, for green transition, and "technological justice" worldwide.

One of his first messages also included words of support for Ukrainians, both those still residing in Eastern Europe and those seeking refuge in Barcelona. Collboni declared, "Barcelona will always stand by you." Previously, The Gaze reported on the strong support Ukraine has received from Spain.

In her speech, former Mayor Ada Colau denied reaching any "secret agreement" with the Socialists in exchange for her votes and asserted that her last-minute decision aimed to block Xavier Trias' return. She also added that during Trias' tenure, there were "open doors for speculation, mass tourism, a lack of investment in public transportation, and neglect of low-income neighborhoods."

Following Collboni's election, Daniel Sirera, the leader of the People's Party, stated that "supporting the Socialists was not easy, and we did it not for our party or electoral interests, but for the sake of Barcelona." Sirera called on the Socialists to attract international investment and talent and to reverse some of the most significant strategies implemented by Colau, including the moratorium on hotel construction, abandonment of the expansion of Barcelona Airport, "tourism-phobia," and support for squatters.

And what about Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, a Socialist? He received a gift after the Socialist Party, leading the national government, demonstrated predominantly poor results in the local elections across the country on May 28.

These results prompted Sanchez to move the national voting for the Congress and Senate (the two chambers of Spain's parliament) from December of this year to July 23.