The president of FemCAT called on entrepreneurs and institutions to define the country they want for 2044. He also denounced the investment deficit and the fiscal treatment that Catalunya receives.
Nearly 500 people attended the XIV FemCAT Forum, held at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona under the slogan Commitment, complicity, courage, Catalunya. This is reported by El Nacional, which highlights a specific request at the heart of the day: to make decisions for the country.
The president of the entity, Tatxo Benet, was responsible for the conclusions and appealed to the responsibility of entrepreneurs and administrations. His most repeated phrase summarised the message of the day.
“Not deciding is also a decision”
Benet advocated for courage, the ability to take risks, and the need to agree on long-term objectives. He proposed to define what kind of country Catalunya wants to be in 18 years, in 2044, and to start working on it immediately.
During the inauguration, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, spoke. Among the audience were former presidents such as José Montilla, Artur Mas, and Quim Torra, as well as the president of the Cercle d'Economia, Teresa Garcia-Milà. The closing remarks were made by the president of the Parliament, Josep Rull.
The former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin defended the role of values and determination in small countries during her speech. Benet conveyed this idea to Catalunya, although he warned of a difference: here, he said, there are pending decisions that cannot continue to be postponed.
The CEO of Sateliot, Jaume Sanpere, pointed out another gap. According to him, in the United States, investors assume they cannot miss the next big company, while in Europe, the fear of making mistakes prevails, leading to a reluctance to take risks. Meanwhile, philosopher Daniel Innerarity concluded part of the debate by dismantling catastrophic views on artificial intelligence.
Regarding infrastructure, Benet denounced the investment deficit and the fiscal treatment that Catalunya receives. He described the tax system as “shameful” and “intolerable” and lamented that the situation has persisted for decades.
He reproached the State for a “mistreatment” of the Rodalies service due to the lack of execution of already budgeted investments. He also criticised the lack of public transport outside the metropolitan area of Barcelona and that over 200 million euros are allocated to connect the tram along the Diagonal, while he called for attention to the AP-7, healthcare, and education with a more balanced territorial vision.
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