Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) mayoral candidate Elisenda Alamany has called for a plan to reopen Collserola Park, saying its closure over African swine fever has lasted for more than 10 months. The restriction affects visitors to Barcelona’s main natural park and restaurants operating within it, while the May 2027 municipal election campaign begins to take shape.
Speaking on Monday evening outside ERC’s newly opened campaign headquarters on Sardenya Street, Alamany asked Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat, Catalonia’s devolved government, and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni to set out when access restrictions will be eased.
“An exceptional measure cannot become permanent,” Alamany said.
ERC plans parliamentary and council action
According to El Nacional’s account of the press conference, Alamany said ERC will raise the matter in the Parliament of Catalonia and at Barcelona City Council’s plenary meeting on Friday 25 September.
- safe routes allowing people to return to parts of Collserola Park;
- a review of the criteria used to maintain the access restrictions;
- a timetable from the Generalitat for easing the closure; and
- faster compensation for park restaurants affected by the restrictions.
Alamany criticised the Generalitat’s compensation condition requiring businesses to demonstrate a 30% fall in turnover over the previous year. She described that threshold as unacceptable.
Campaign themes for the 2027 election
The headquarters opening marks the start of ERC’s long pre-election campaign for the Barcelona mayoralty. Alamany said the party will focus on what it calls recovering Barcelona’s identity, making it easier for people to remain living in the city, and defending Barcelona’s role as Catalonia’s capital.
She also referred to Cristina Maragall’s request for an apology over posters that used former Barcelona mayor Pasqual Maragall’s illness to criticise Ernest Maragall. ERC will take its request on Collserola to Friday’s City Council session.
Reported by elnacional.cat, El Nacional.
