"Barcelona Must Be a Capital, Not a Theme Park"
Laure Vega, the CUP's lead candidate for mayor of Barcelona in the May 2027 municipal elections, has called for a sharp reduction in international tourism, arguing it has only served to impoverish residents. Vega, currently a Member of Parliament for Catalonia, stated that Barcelona should once again be a capital city for its people, not a theme park for visitors. "We are opting to reduce international tourism, because all it does is impoverish the population," Vega said in an interview with El Nacional. She specifically criticised the expansion of El Prat airport and the continued operation of cruise terminals, saying these developments do not benefit local communities.
Radical Proposals for Housing and Security
Vega outlined a platform focused on radical social reforms, including stricter enforcement of housing laws, higher taxes on property speculation, and an increase in public and social housing stock. She stressed that housing must be for living in, not for speculative investment or disguised tourist rentals. On security, Vega rejected calls to equip Barcelona’s municipal police, the Guàrdia Urbana, with taser guns. "Taser guns do nothing at all," she said. Instead, she advocated for more investigative resources, pointing out that despite having one of the highest ratios of police per inhabitant in Europe, 1.65 officers per 1,000 people in municipalities with local police forces, crime remains a pressing concern. According to the Generalitat’s 2023 annual report on local policing, Barcelona has 3,370 local police officers, representing 29.0% of Catalonia’s total local police force. However, Vega argued that more officers are not the solution, citing misallocation of resources, such as surveillance of teacher assemblies while failing to anticipate public disturbances.
Focus on Youth, Inequality and Political Renewal
Vega linked rising social unrest to deeper structural issues, including youth self-harm and the erosion of the social contract. She noted that one in four minors under 18 in Catalonia has self-harmed, a statistic she said demands urgent political attention. The CUP lost its city council representation in 2019 and again in 2023 but is now rebuilding its candidacy through the Municipalist Popular Assembly, a broader coalition including neighbourhood activists and cooperatives. Vega confirmed she will resign her seat in the Catalan Parliament if elected to the city council, in line with the party’s policy against holding multiple offices. Asked about Mayor Collboni’s proposal to suspend tourist housing licences, Vega said the party supports the move but warned it would be meaningless if hotel capacity expands in parallel. "Barcelona does not need more international tourism," she insisted.
Sources: El Nacional, Generalitat de Catalunya.
