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Antoni Vives: "There's Nothing to Be Done with Spain"

The former Convergència official reflects on Catalonia's future, international politics, and his own career.

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IA

Generic image of a hand writing on a document with an urban background.

Former Convergència official Antoni Vives questions the viability of independence within Spain and reflects on the need for a new project for Catalonia.

Antoni Vives, a former high-ranking official of Convergència Democràtica and ex-councilor for Urbanism at the Barcelona City Council, has expressed a critical view on Catalonia's future within Spain, stating that "there's nothing to be done with Spain." In an interview, Vives indicated that the majority of the Catalan population no longer believes in autonomism and that the disappointment generated by the Procés has left a deep humiliation across generations.
Vives, who had a distinguished political career and later worked on international projects in India and Saudi Arabia, has criticized the management of current pro-independence parties, Junts and Esquerra Republicana, accusing them of squandering accumulated political capital. He has also questioned the nature of Aliança Catalana, stating that it "renounces Catalanism" due to its stance on immigration.
Regarding his personal trajectory, Vives acknowledged reaching a plea agreement with the prosecution for a financial penalty in a case of irregular hiring, although he does not feel guilty. He highlighted his experience in the development of the city of Pune in India and his role in the Vision 2030 project in Saudi Arabia, led by Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He describes this experience as unique, working in an environment with practically unlimited resources and an "ambitious" leader aiming to transform the country.
On Barcelona's politics, Vives has described Ada Colau's mayorship as "negative" for the city, arguing that it consolidated an idea of "stagnation" and lacked national and metropolitan ambition. He defended the need for Barcelona to aspire to be the capital of the Catalan Countries and a major metropolis.
Vives has recently published the book Al país secret. Un català a la cort de l'Aràbia Saudita, where he explores the complexity of the Arab world and the crown prince. He considers the 21st century to be marked by "vulgarity" and the decoupling of prosperity from democracy, and calls on Europe to defend its values of individual and collective freedom.

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