Governance plan: government action until 2015

On Thursday 20 October, I presented the Governance Plan 2011-2015 at a public event, the document defining the main lines of action that will guide government action in this term and based on four pillars:

-         Sitges as a town made up with people
-         tourism as an engine of the Renaissance
-         the search for new economic models
-         respect for the environment and heritage

The Governance Plan is the tool that sets goals for the next four years, but also allows us a closer contact with reality, as it defines the speed and provides the administrative and financial feasability of planned actions. In summary, it's the scheduled corpus that the government of the New Majority has produced as the result of a exhaustive analysis of the difficult economic situation that we are facing, but with the determination that it constitutes an element of progress and renewed hope for Sitges its citizens.

The four pillars that structure the Governance Plan comprise a long list of actions that will implemented, supported or promoted the city of Sitges. We are talking here about four interconnected pillars, that globally draw a picture of a competitive Sitges, proud of its past and its integrating and diverse identity. A town that makes the active support to citizens the flagship of all its action.

In this sense, the first of the four points of the Governance Plan (Sitges as a town made up by people) is a absolute governmental priority, as it seeks to guarantee the integral development of individuals throughout their life cycle.The active employment policy, the implementation of specific training programs and active and real support to local businesses and entrepreneurs are basic principles of governmental action.

The second axis (tourism as engine of renaissance) is geared to activate a large umbrella from which hangs a wide range of actions to support Sitges as a quality tourist destination.Recover lost quality indexes and reposition ourselves on the international map requires synergies, establish joint actions with the private sector and offer a range of cultural and leisure activities that are large enough to become a decisive factor.

The third point is directly linked to above.The search for new economic models to diversify income and employment, and the creation of opportunities for entrepreneurs are actions that help to provide greater security to the town and its citizens. Meanwhile, a major municipal action-and an absolute necessity because of the debt - is sorting out the critical financial situation of the City Council, the outcome of the implementation of a management and investment model that was totally wrong. The introduction of a new culture of administration and resource management is a battle to be won every day.

Finally, but also linked to other points, the fourth axis - respect for the environment and heritage - should be assumed as a daily subject by the Administration and by all citizens.The criteria for the integrated planning and management of the coast by the municipality and the Cataleg of Heritage -which guarantees the preservation of our architectural essence - and the defense of the environment constitutes an obligation we have to pass on to future generations, so Sitges will be capable of keeping its identity and al those characteristics that makes us proud.

Finally, I take advantage of these lines to make my contribution to the simple but heartfelt tribute to the artist Manel Ferrer made last Sunday at the place that was his home, at the Lope de Vega Street. His brushes and his love for Sitges produced a long list of works of art with the image of la Punta, now present in homes all around the world and that have contributed to make Sitges even more universal.

Social policy, a priority

Just a few days ago, and as a initiative of the Department of Family Welfare and the city of Sitges, a workshop was initiated  to support people who are responsible of family members in a situation of dependency. The sessions aim to provide a framework of knowledge and experiences to non-professional carers of people with different degrees of dependency. This is a support action and a enhanced value for those caring for family members, so they can share problems and obtain solutions to common situations.

The policy of social support is one of the basic pillars of the municipal government of the New Majority. In Sitges, beyond the delicate current socioeconomical situation, there are people suffering. Many more people that we often imagine, even considering the employment results made ​public last week, which shows that unemployment in the municipality is 9.5%, six points below the Catalan average, is a figure that injects hope, but we must not be conformists.

The actions, aimed at groups who suffer most and who need active support, should be a priority for the different administrations, even considering budget constraints and situations of drastic reductions. A good example is the announcement made last week by the Minister of Social Welfare and Family Affairs, Josep Lluis Cleries, in which he expressed his commitment to expand the number of potential places in nurseries for the elderly by 4500. That is, despite that the difficult context and poisoned inheritance received by previous governments (in the town and in the Catalan government) are forcing to redirect budgets and optimize services and benefits, the policies to support those most in need must be kept in the first level of institutional action.

How is this compatible, in a time when revenues have shrunk considerably, the country suffers from a serious budget deficit and the volume of service requests  increases in proportion to the worsening economic situation? The equation is not easy to solve, but not impossible to apply. Imagination, financial balance and the willingness to serve can be a great combination to activate lines of social support.

The base of any institution planning involves the implementation of an action policy that considers the required austerity versus the provision of services. A good example of this principle is that Catalonia has doubled health expenditure during the last ten years, even though that population growth was only 20%. The figures indicate that institutional leaders must be precise in the administration of public resources and that people should be careful in their proper use. But it also shows that social policies and support for individuals and groups who suffer most should be a priority in governmental action. This is a principle assumed by the municipal government of Sitges.

I’ll take advantage of this opportunity to invite all the inhabitants of Sitges to the presentation of the Governance Plan, to be held on Thursday 20 October at 19.30 at Palau Maricel.

A Sitgetà born in Vilafranca

Yesterday, we woke up with the sad news of the death of our beloved Janio Martí. It was just that kind of news that in a matter of hours arrives to every corner of Sitges, one of those events that shows that we are still fortunate to live in a town.

Janio was a very admired, loved and approachable person. During his artistic life, he received ample recognition when, accompanied by his orchestra, he became a common presence in Annual Festivals and Tents all around the country. Thanks to his performance skills, Janio brought a lot of happiness to many Catalans.

His death belongs to those that will be long remembered. His kindness, humor and optimism generated a bond with all the people that knew him. Janio was essentially a good person with whom it was always a pleasure to talk about any current issue, or just to talk about anything at Cap de la Vila or at El Retiro, as he was an enthusiast supporter of this local entity.

My relationship with him and his family was a consequence of different affinities and points of contacts, such as our common links between Sitges and Vilafranca, or to the fact that I was born at the same hospital and at the same date that his son Pinyu almost forty years ago. Our joint participation in the group Gent de Teatre some time ago, allowed us to intensify our contacts and share nice moments entirely filled with “sitgetanisme”.


Thanks, Teacher, thanks for everything you taught us and for everything you shared with us.

Sitges is dressed as a 'Fantastic film'

Sitges is dressing again as a fantastic film, just as the beginning of every October, when our town inaugurates the Festival, the most important one in his genre and the first film festival in the country. And this year, Sitges dresses even more fantastic thanks to initiatives geared to strengthen the presence of the festival in the entire town, especially in the center of the town, an area in which the Festival  had lost connection and presence with the passage of time.

The Festival is probably our most useful, profitable and effective tool to promote Sitges on an international level. The projection in the media of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia today has an exceptional value: nearly 450 million hits on newspapers, radio, television and Internet. The Festival is covered by more than 400 accredited media. This scenario helps to relate Sitges with the Festival, to the point that many in the Film Industry use the name of the town to designate the Festival, in a clear demonstration of the association of the Festival with Sitges. For this reason, it was a sound decision when, in times of Pere Junyent as mayor, the Festival installed its photocall in one of the observation points of Aiguadolç, so that images of actors and directors appearing in the media have Sitges as the background.

From the artistic point of view, the commitment of the last ten years to promote the fantastic cinema, and its variants such as horror, science fiction, animation, Asian ... - has been fully successful and has helped to give the show a marked profile, warmly received by the audience and critics.

However, in Sitges there is a sensation that the Festival has lost its local character and profile over the years. People from Sitges that think that the Festival only has a residual presence in the center of the town are quite right. This trend, which has grown in importance in recent years, has generated some concern and aloofness in the relationship between the town and the event, something which must be corrected urgently.

For this reason, one of the many urgent measures of the new municipal government is to implement immediate actions to reinforce the active presence of the Festival at the center of town, and recuperate the affective relations between the people of Sitges and their Festival. The decor and atmosphere of streets, the fantastic menus prepared by twenty restaurants ascribed to the Hotel Association, the collaboration with schools, so that children can attend special sessions, or the large number drawings made by students that will be placed in various shops, are some of the actions carried out according to this line of action.

Sitges needs a solid Festival and in full projection. And the Festival needs the support, love and affection of all the inhabitants of Sitges. These actions aim to strengthen and enhance this relationship.

I truly wish that all those attending the Festival and visitors in general enjoy the magic of cinema!