The Barcelona Provincial Council has allocated €1.1 million for emergency repairs across 105 points of its road network, addressing significant damage caused by a series of severe storms that have battered the region in recent months.
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The council detailed the spending during its ordinary plenary session this past Thursday. Interventions were deemed urgent to “guarantee road safety and allow circulation under minimum safety conditions,” according to an official document. These works primarily focused on clearing fallen trees, stabilising slopes at risk of collapse, and repairing damaged road containment systems.
The series of storms, which have affected Catalonia since December, also had a devastating impact beyond infrastructure. The severe weather caused three fatalities across the region: a train driver in an accident in Gelida, Barcelona; a man swept away by floodwaters in Palau-sator, Girona; and a woman who died in the Catalan capital after a roof collapsed due to high winds.
Emergency Measures and Future Prevention
The council’s Area of Infrastructure and Territory report, accessed by news outlet 20 Minutos, confirmed a swift and decisive response. Beyond immediate repairs, the provincial government also urgently approved a plan for visual inspections of bridges at risk from future intense storms, signalling a shift towards more preventative maintenance.
The emergency funding report formed part of a broader agenda for the plenary session. Councillors also approved an updated Strategic Plan for Subsidies and an additional three million euros for the cooperation plan with local municipalities. This focus on local investment reflects wider regional trends, as city authorities also funnel funds into major upgrades. Barcelona, for example, recently announced a €9 million investment in bridge and park restoration to enhance public spaces.
Political Divisions Over Women’s Day
While the infrastructure report passed without incident, acrimony marked the session later on. A planned unanimous Institutional Declaration for International Women’s Day on 8th March failed to pass after Jordi Albert de la Fuente, the sole representative from the far-right Vox party, voted against it. This prevented the necessary cross-party consensus, forcing the declaration to pass as a standard motion with only majority support.
Other councillors recalled that before Vox joined the council, such declarations typically received unanimous approval despite ideological differences. De la Fuente heavily criticised the motion, accusing “progressive” governments of neglecting women’s rights. He then made inflammatory claims, blaming migrants for increased violence against women.
“What matters to us is that ‘animals’ who do not respect women have been allowed to enter,” he stated.
These remarks prompted immediate, widespread condemnation from other political groups. Aïda Llauradó of the Comuns group accused Vox of exploiting the issue for political gain. She stated, “They do not defend women’s rights; instead, they take advantage of them for their speeches.” Roda Boladera of Tot per Terrassa criticised how “the far-right’s division and racism prevent the council from making this declaration institutional.”
Raquel Albiol of ERC championed feminism as a driver for social and labour rights. She condemned what she called attempts by ‘ultra’ movements to “trivialise macho violence.” Daniel Gracia of the People’s Party (PP) noted that his party would have drafted the text differently. However, he affirmed their commitment to “recognising equality between men and women.” The motion ultimately passed with the support of all parties except Vox.
