Cercle d’Economia in Barcelona

From 5 to 7 May, the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cercle d’Economia took place at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, under the theme “Europe: Wake-up call? How to respond at a time of geopolitical disruption”. The event brought together prominent figures from the political, economic, and business sectors to consider Europe’s role in the context of a globally uncertain environment. 

José María Bové (President) and María Luisa Ramírez (Partner) attended this significant event, which commemorated the Cercle d’Economia four decades of annual meetings. Key issues addressed at the conference included the European response to international instability, technological leadership in relation to the USA and China, the development of the defence sector, access to housing in large cities, and climate transition with a focus on industry. 

On the second day, María Luisa Ramírez took part in one of the new petit comité sessions, an innovative initiative of this edition. She attended a meeting with Mr. Andrés Velasco, who is an advisor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as being the former Finance Minister of Chile and current Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics. 

This was followed by a session with Members of the European Parliament to discuss strategic issues related to the future of Europe. This edition was particularly relevant, highlighting the need for dialogue and collective reflection in an increasingly complex international context.