An unexpected candidate
The candidacy of the Commons for the Parliament of Catalonia has surprised many with its choice of number 1 for Girona: Eloi Badia. Badia is a member of the Barcelona City Council and has been a prominent figure in Catalan politics in recent years. Although Badia has ties to Girona, having acquired a property there in 2020, his political career has mainly been in Barcelona.
Successes and challenges
During his eight years as a councilor of the Barcelona City Council, Badia has achieved several notable successes. One of them is the creation of Barcelona Energia, a public company that offers renewable energy at competitive prices. He has also been one of the promoters of the low emissions zone in Barcelona and has worked on improvements to Park Güell. However, Badia has faced some major challenges, such as the failure of its attempt to municipalize water and problems with the door-to-door garbage collection system.
Judicial matters
Badia has also been the subject of a judicial investigation in relation to the Tersa urban waste treatment plant. However, many of the complaints against Badia and the Commons have been filed. Despite this, some of the complaints are still in the investigation phase and are pending resolution.
A new path
After giving up running for a third term in Barcelona City Council, Badia is now a member of Congress. In the next elections, the Commons will compete for a seat in Girona with Aliança Catalana. Badia’s candidacy is an important bet for the Commons and is based on demographic data.