He Mobile World Congress (MWC) It has become an instrument to measure political temperature in Catalonia. During the years of the Procesthe World Telephony Fair became the favorite scenario of independence to shave the presence of state authorities and, especially, King Felipe VI.
But this year’s edition has imposed institutionality. The pacification exercised by Illa, who in the environments of the regional government prefer to call as Institutional normalityit has had an effect. Proof of this is that the monarch has visited the Stand of the Generalitat of Catalonia In the MWC After eight years without doing so Because no representative of the Government was willing to receive it in space.
He has done so within the framework of the inaugural visit every year during the first day of the Congress, which is held this week at the Fairgrounds of Gran Via in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. This time, the king has known the facilities by the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and the Consellers Albert Dalmau, Alicia Romero and Miquel Sàmper. Who has been absent on Monday has been the president of the Parliamentthe post -convergent Josep Rull.
Interestingly, the last time the king approached the Catalan pavilion was in 2017, under the mandate of former president Carles Puigdemont.
On Sunday a change of tonic was perceived at the opening dinner of the Congress. In recent years, not even Presidents Quim Torra and Pere Aragonès – nor, by the way, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau – were willing to greet the king in the traditional kisses prior to the agape. The displacements began in the 2018 edition in response to the speech of the Head of the State after the 1-O Self-Determination Referendum.
Felipe VI has also had the opportunity to sports with the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchezabsent yesterday of the opening dinner due to the meeting of European leaders in London to address the situation in Ukraine. During the opening ceremony, both leaders have talked for many minutes.
Congress extension?
The first day of the Mobile is usually loaded with public statements. Although a draft ads is rarely sneaks. First thing in the morning, the President Salvador Illa He has defended that Barcelona can retain the celebration of the Technological Fair beyond 2030 If they do “things well done.”
The last agreement with GSMApromoter of the contest, was signed in 2022 and placed the city as host of Congress until the end of the decade. The Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function extended last week for three years fiscal aid so that the event will continue in Catalonia.
“Because of the importance and importance of this event, there are many other cities that would want at any price to get to be held at home,” he said in an interview in Catalunya Ràdio.
Economic impact
In this sense, he said that he sees “satisfaction from the work organizers that are being done in Barcelona” and has defended the economic injection that supposes in the city. GSMA hopes to generate a Economic return between 540 and 550 million euros in the Catalan capital.
The organizers hope to exceed 101,000 visitors last year, although they do not dare to make the 2019 record. In the edition prior to the COVID, the largest historical figure of congressmen was recorded, 109,000.
While this year’s edition has started with some protests of little entity and the VTC employer’s strike – which Cabify has not joined – in recent years they have managed to pacify the Mobile celebration days. Especially if the collapses caused by the taxi in past editions are remembered.
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