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Dídac Lee is on the FC Barcelona Board of Directors, charged with managing New Technologies. In an exclusive interview with CNA, Lee considers that it is vital for FC Barcelona to be close to the fans, and social networks are the key to reaching this goal. Thanks to Lee, Barça is now the leading sports club in the field. Lee is a renowned Catalan entrepreneur and the Chinese work culture ethos has influenced him both in his life and work.

The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) is holding its 12th congress to renew its leadership and discuss its entire political project. After having lost the last elections, the Catalan Government and many town halls throughout Catalonia, the PSC feels detached from the majority of voters with many believing that it has lost its way regards it political project. Its attachment to social-democratic values, its connection with the Catalan municipalities, its defence of Catalan interests in Madrid, and the relationship with the Spanish Socialists are the main issues. Three mayors announced their candidacy to lead the party, which means that a synthesis looks more likely than a full renovation.

FC Barcelona and Tencent have agreed to develop Barça’s brand in China. The deal will allow FC Barcelona to reach a massive audience as well as generate significant revenue.

The Catalan Minister for Business and Employment has stressed that the Government’s objective is to reduce unemployment by half by 2014. The plan foresees ten measures, with a special focus on the long-term unemployed. Some of the measures include incentives to SME companies to hire the long-term unemployed, collaborating with private temporary work agencies, enlarging the network of education classrooms and relocating staff from the Catalan Public Employment Service to provide job search council and other direct services.

This Monday Catalan pupils begin their school year. 1,280,232 students from elementary, primary and secondary education returned to the classrooms with normality. However, controversies are lingering over this year. The Catalan language at schools, the sixth hour of tuition and budget restrictions all frame the school year’s kick off. The day finished with teacher and parent demonstrations in front of town halls defending the Catalan school model.

The Catalan Supreme Court of Justice issues a court order giving the Catalan Government 2 months to change the current school model and include Spanish as a school language of instruction. The Government will appeal. Teacher unions and the main parent associations back the current model. Currently, Catalan is the language used and Spanish is taught in school but only as a subject. For the Catalan Government, the court decision breaks a model praised by international organisations, which guarantees social cohesion and the knowledge of both languages by all pupils.

A grant allocated to the poorest, which is supposed to be their only income, was not paid regularly on August 1st as the Catalan Government changed the payment method. The official explanation is that the change was taken to avoid fraud and be able to ensure the sustainability of this grant system. From now on, the 37,000 beneficiaries will have to personally go the bank with a pay check that will be sent to them. In mid-August, most of the beneficiaries had already received the money. The opposition has heavily criticised the Government, which has recognised errors but stressed that many people were getting money without meeting the conditions. 500 beneficiaries and social workers protested on Thursday in Barcelona.

Barça’s social commitment has taken on a further global character with the agreement signed with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to work towards eradicating Polio. Mr Gates expressed his personal satisfaction at working with the Club.

The study is funded by Catalan savings bank ‘la Caixa’ with data at Spanish-level. It reveals, contrary to xenophobic statements that immigrants bring more revenue to the state than the costs they generate. In addition, their presence also brings more services. “We came to the conclusion than the impact of immigration in the Welfare State is clearly positive”, states the coordinator of the study.

This initiative offers free food to people in need and it is a platform involving many organisations. The Food Bank already assists 118,000 people in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and warns that “the figure is growing”.

During the first three months of 2011, housing prices dropped by 4.5% compared to the same period in 2010. The end of fiscal advantages for property purchase is the main reason behind this drop. The average square metre price in Catalonia is now set at 2,145.2 euros. These prices have not been seen since early 2006 and represent a 14% drop compared with the historic maximum in 2008.

The Catalan Government announced that knowledge of the Catalan language will be a “very determining” factor in proving integration in Catalonia in order to renew residency certificates or family grouping.

Andreu Mas-Colell, the Catalan Minister for Economy, reflected on the issue at a ceremony, where savings bank La Caixa and Catalan universities were giving away up to new 20 grants for research projects. The objective is to prevent a possible brain drain in Catalonia. Mas-Colell said that once the sector reforms were accomplished, the financial entities would get more freedom.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport’s terminals become home to many homeless people from Barcelona Metropolitan area but also from around the world, but not for much longer. The Spanish Airport Authority decided to close the terminal from midnight to 5am to stop this activity. Passengers or people waiting for passengers will ac cess the terminals through secured doors.

The total number of foreigners contributing to the Social Security system in Catalonia at the end of 2010 was 401,753 people. Three out of four foreigners in Catalonia come from outside the European Union.