Chairman of Spanish Employers: Catalan business-owners are shifting towards self-determination

Barcelona (ACN).- Juan Rosell, the current Chairman of Spain’s main association of employers (CEOE), and who used to chair the main Catalan employers association (Foment), stated that Catalan businesspeople are shifting towards pro-self-determination stands. In a press conference in Madrid, Rosell, who is openly against Catalonia’s independence, stated that “business people are not aliens” and “if society has changed its views in the last few years, so have businesspeople”. The top representative of Spanish business-owners stated that the current moment is “extremely serious”. Rosell demanded “to bridge the gap, put all the economic data on the table and analyse the pros and cons for one side and the other one” regarding Catalonia’s independence from Spain. His stance can be viewed as a way to pressure the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy into reacting and making an attractive offer to Catalan society rather than saying ‘no’ to everything and refusing to negotiate. The CEOE Chairman admitted he was very concerned about Catalonia’s self-determination debate. The Catalan Government replied to Rosell that “wanting to vote should never upset anyone”. Besides, Rosell affirmed that companies are not leaving Catalonia because of the self-determination process.

The CEOE Chairman explained that Catalan business owners are gradually shifting towards supporting Catalonia’s self-determination. Rosell said that business owners “are not aliens” and “if society has changed its views in the last few years, so have business people”.

66.8% of medium- and small-sized business owners would vote for independence

Rosell’s words are particularly relevant since he represents the owners of large-sized enterprises, who tend to be against significant changes of the status quo. Business-owners of small- and medium-sized companies (grouped around PIMEC association) would be massively supporting independence from Spain, since a poll published a year ago stated that 66.8% of them would back this idea.

The dilemma of the main employers

According to Rosell, many of the owners of important companies are personally torn between deciding “which opinion prevails”, “their own economic and political opinion or their opinion as owners of a business”. Rosell has stated on several occasions that Catalonia’s independence would be negative for both the Spanish and Catalan economies and their companies. Therefore, in his opinion, Catalan business-owners should be against independence since it is the best option for their companies. Furthermore, the CEOE Chairman insisted that business owners have “an important responsibility towards their companies”.

Companies are not leaving Catalonia despite the self-determination process

In the press conference, Rosell stressed that no economic data had shown companies leaving Catalonia because of the self-determination process. Some anti-independence voices had announced that companies would leave Catalonia but Rosell denied this hypothesis, emphasising that business people is not leaving and foreign investment continues to arrive. However, he said that Spanish and Catalan societies were gradually drifting apart, further increasing the distance between both of them.