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Taxis in Barcelona are on strike to protest online platforms such as Uber or Cabify, which they consider to be unfair competition. Commuters and tourists at Sants, Barcelona’s main train station, or El Prat, the city airport, had to face long queues to take the bus or alternative transport methods because the taxi stands were completely empty. The strike, which started at 6am on Tuesday, will last for 24 hours. Up to 20,000 taxi drivers are expected to take to the streets in a big rally in Madrid, with more than 2,500 drivers from the Barcelona’s Metropolitan also attending. Taxi driver unions are threatening with more mobilizations on the 29th of June and are weighing the possibility of an indefinite strike starting on July 31st, just at the peak of the holiday period. They think their demands are being ignored by the government and that online platforms such as Uber are “destroying” their business.

The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, called all political parties in favor of an independence referendum to a meeting on Monday “to analyze Mariano Rajoy’s negative answer” to Catalonia’s request for a negotiated vote, sources from the government said. “We are not planning to decide the date and question for the referendum,” the same sources confirmed, after members of the radical left CUP urged the Government to confirm when the referendum will take place. However, the same sources admitted that they might discuss it if “one of the participants” of the meeting “puts the issue on the table”. Governing party Junts pel Sí and radical-left CUP will take part in the summit, as well as Podem Catalunya, the Catalan branch of Podemos. However, Catalunya en Comú, the party of Barcelona’s Mayor Ada Colau, has so far rejected the invitation, arguing that any debates on the referendum should be held in the cross-party National Pact for the Referendum forum, and not in a government-led meeting.

FC Barcelona claimed the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Alavés at the Vicente Calderón, becoming the first side since the 1950s to win the trophy three years in a row. In a hotly-contested affair, the class of Leo Messi stood out as he scored a fine opener as well as setting up the third goal for Paco Alcácer just after Neymar regained the lead for Barça. It was a scrappy start without any clear goalscoring chances for either side, with the Alavés defence standing firm to Barça intricate passing in the final third.

The Dutch architecture studios NL architects and XVW architectuur, received the EU Mies Award 2017 (Contemporary Architecture prize of the European Union – Mies van der Rohe) on Friday in Barcelona for the rehabilitation of a big apartment building in Amsterdam. According to the jury, this year’s edition communicates two important messages: First, modern architecture has to fulfill citizens’ needs, and second, citizens participation in urban projects is essential for solving urban challenges. In an interview with the CNA, representatives from both of the prizewinning studios, Kamiel Klaassen (NL) and Xander Vermeulen Windsant (XVW), commented about the “incredible richness and variety” of Barcelona’s architecture and praised the potential of the city’s structure for future urban development.

The high speed railway line that connects Girona to Barcelona registered 1.01 million travelers throughout 2016. That is the same volume of passengers that went from Catalonia’s capital city to Tarragona over the last nine years according to statistics provided by Renfe, the Spanish train operator. Barcelona is not only connected to Girona and Tarragona; Avant trains also travel to Lleida. This route has also been a great success in 2016, used by 4.03 million passengers. Altogether 10.7 million people have traveled from the four Catalan provincial capitals since 2008. 2016 was the most successful year with 2.05 million travelers.

Catalonia shows commitment to fight climate change. Coinciding with the inauguration of the Barcelona ‘Innovate4Climate’ conference, the Catalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Josep Rull, confirmed on Wednesday that the Catalan Parliament will approve a law before summer to fight climate change. In declarations to the press after opening the conference, the minister highlighted that this law “will be the first one in this field in the south of Europe” and that the Catalan government’s aim is to guarantee a "minimum impact" of climate change on people and the environment. Rull also highlighted that it is an "ethical commitment" for companies and administrations to fight climate change, and stressed that is also actually a “profitable business”.

Barcelona and London, the capital cities of Catalonia and the United Kingdom, suffered sustained bombardments by fascist air forces during the first half of the 20th century. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the aerial bombing of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) together with the European Observatory on Memories (Eurom) and in collaboration with the University of Brighton organized a conference at London’s Imperial War Museum to share Catalonia and United Kingdom’s history under the fascist bombs. The commemorative event gathered together representatives from the Catalan Government, mayors of some of the cities who suffered the most under the fascist aviation attacks, British politicians, such as Chris Bambery, former spokesman for the APPG on Catalonia, and researchers and historians from both the UK and Catalonia specialized in the Great World Wars.

The 39th edition of the Automobile Barcelona show closed its doors with a record figure of more than 755,000 visitors, about 5,000 more than in the past edition in 2015. Sales agreements increased 15% compared to the last edition, reaching almost 80,000 vehicles sold. “This year’s edition has marked a before and after for automobile shows worldwide,” stated the chairman of Automobile Barcelona, Enrique Lacalle. “We have invented the automobile show of the future, introducing a new format and a new philosophy of trade shows that have been well received by the public and the sector professionals. And this has significantly increased the number of visitors and sales,” Lacalle added. The chairman also informed that 47% of the visitors who came to buy a car, showed interest in the “connected car” innovation.

The Barcelona street art scene has been active for 30 years. Thanks to its diversity Barcelona street art distinguishes itself from other cities around the world. During recent years street art has become more popular, which has resulted in more art on the streets, a commercial focus and more legal walls around town. According to the street artist Debens, it was hard for artists in the 90s to find places to make street art because of strict conditions. But such authority also had a positive impact on the street artists in the beginning since it produced a “rebel spirit that is very important for them to create”, Debens states. 

FC Barcelona rallied back from two goals down to defeat Eibar 4-2 on the final day of the league campaign, but it was not enough to claim the title. Luis Enrique's men men dug deep for their manager on what was his final league game and got the three points, though Real Madrid’s 2-0 win at Málaga ultimately sees the title go the way of the side from the Spanish capital. It was not the fairytale ending Luis Enrique would have wished for on his last league game but the players showed their commitment to the cause with a rallying display, and his tenure could still end with silverware after next Saturday’s Copa del Rey final.

The president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Arthur Brooks, explained in an interview with the CNA how the impact of an independent Catalonia on the European Union “could in a strange and paradoxical way have the greatest benefit that Europe could imagine”. The renowned American social scientist said that Catalonia, with its entrepreneurial culture, could become “an example” to other countries and have a “resuscitation effect” on a “struggling” Europe. Brooks also stated that “the Catalan independence movement is not populist”. Brooks was invited by the Catalan Council of Public Diplomacy (DIPLOCAT) to give a conference on “Populism and Human Dignity” in Barcelona on May 17.

Global support in Catalonia to reduce VAT on cinema tickets from the current 21% to 10%. Compared to other EU countries, in which cultural activities including the movie sector benefit from reduced VAT, Spanish citizens have to live with high taxes on culture. Politicians and associations of the cinema sector in Catalonia consider the 21% VAT on cinema tickets “discriminatory” in comparison to other EU countries. In Germany, for example, there is reduced VAT (7%) on movies (not including damaging content for youth). In Belgium cultural events have a VAT of 6% and in neighboring France, VAT on cultural activities is 7%. That is why these cultural groups have lined up to urge the Spanish government to change it in the 2017 budget and set it at the same level as bullfighting, which is currently taxed at just 10%.

The Catalan Government has announced an “urgent meeting with all responsible parts involved” in order to address the collapse at the Barcelona airport’s passport control over the past 15 days. Government’s spokesperson Neus Munté considers the Spanish authorities’ “passiveness” an intentional “act of sabotage” against the Barcelona airport. The Spanish government argued that the queues are due to unexpected passenger increase. The Catalan MEP of the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCat), Ramon Tremosa, asked the European Commission to make sure that the Spanish State applies the new EU border regulations against terrorism without harming or inconveniencing Barcelona airport passengers. The Catalan political groups in the Spanish Parliament, in turn, will demand explanations from the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Spanish ministers in the chamber.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) approved on Tuesday a €125 million loan to the Council of Barcelona to build 2,198 affordable houses. The money will help to finance 23 promotions from all over the city and will cover 50% of the projects budget. The rest will be paid through the Council own resources (31%) and other financial sources, including public and private institutions (19%). Gerardo Pisarello, from the Barcelona Council, said that the EIB loan will help the city save up to €45 million in interests, as the financing conditions set by the European Investment Bank are much more favourable than those of other banks. The Council of Barcelona is planning to build 8,800 affordable flats until 2025.

The 15th edition of the Barcelona LOOP festival opens its doors from May 18–27, presenting a retro-perspective of international video art production. The festival will show the works of video artists from the 60s, 70s, and 80s in different formats at more than 80 venues around Barcelona. According to Carolina Ciuti, the LOOP festival coordinator, the aim of this year’s edition is to “build bridges between the past and the present” in order to understand modern audiovisual art. The festival’s program was elaborated under the supervision of the renowned Catalan historians of audiovisual art and new media in Spain, Eugeni Bonet and Antoni Mercader. An Andy-Warhol-exhibition as well as a six-hour video marathon of the works of Paul McCarthy are among the festival’s highlights.