Union for Mediterranean at odds with Catalan government over use of headquarters

Nasser Kamel, the secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), an organization headquartered in Barcelona that seeks to foster cooperation between the EU and other Mediterranean countries, complained in a recent interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the Catalan government was now seeking to charge the organization for the use of the Pedralbes Palace meeting rooms.

The Egyptian diplomat believes this effectively "breaks" the agreement that saw UfM move its headquarters to the former residence of the royal family in Barcelona in 2010 and will be meeting with Catalan authorities this week to discuss the matter. 

The Pedralbes Palace belonged to the Barcelona council up until February 2022 when local authorities passed ownership over to the Catalan government. 

Although the organization's meetings could be held elsewhere, Kamel argues this does the UfM a disservice as both he and the organization are based in the Catalan capital. 

'Victim' of Catalonia-Madrid tensions

Kamel told ACN that his relationship with the Catalan government was not a "bad" one, but he said president Pere Aragonès could "be more present and constructively engaged" in the organization. 

According to the diplomat, "there is great potential" with having the UfM in Barcelona, although  "it is not exploited because of the internal political situation in Spain," which he said he was a "victim" of. 

He went on to argue that this lack of interest in the UfM had to do with the Catalan government focusing more on the organization's position regarding independence than on its day-to-day activities and goals. 

"The tensions between Catalonia and Madrid have affected us in many ways," he said. "Sometimes the people of Catalonia would like to see us get involved in the [independence] debate but we cannot and we should not do so."

Spain is one of the UfM's 43 member states.