'The Free Bar Is Over': The Message from the Mayor of Figueres After an Eviction

The mayor of Figueres, Jordi Masquef, has explained on social media that his city council has been able to evict an occupied building. This building, located in the heart of the city, was causing a great number of problems for the authorities and the neighbors. Mayor Masquef explains that police interventions had to be weekly due to drug trafficking, fights, assaults on the police, etc.

With his usual forcefulness and clarity, Mayor Masquef has celebrated this situation. "Kicking down a door and committing a crime can never grant rights, and in Figueres, we are very clear about this: the free-for-all is over. We will work hand in hand with the security forces and the neighbors to tackle these occupations," says the mayor:

In his intervention, Masquef insists that "occupying is a crime." These words are not irrelevant if we consider that Masquef is one of the few juntaires mayors who has kept firm in the face of the widespread increase in insecurity. In fact, Masquef has been one of the protagonists within municipal politics in the battle against this social scourge.

The Revenge of the Municipal World

Just last month, he again called for more police presence in Figueres. In this regard, it should be noted that Figueres is one of the key points of insecurity in Catalonia. The reason is that it acts as an operations center for criminals given its geographical proximity to France.

In any case, with these new words from Masquef, we are witnessing the development of one of the most important (and discreet) political dynamics in Catalonia. We refer to the prominence of municipal politics in responding to the real concerns of citizens. The examples are numerous, and some very revealing: Albiol, Masquef, Reyes, Orriols, and even the cupaires mayors (Salellas and Sànchez).

For this reason, the upcoming municipal elections, which will coincide with the regional ones, will be crucial to gauge the political climate in Catalonia. It is not surprising, then, that almost all parties (except for the PSC and the woke left) have strengthened their municipal presence. In the case of Junts, for example, the secretary general, Jordi Turull, is touring Catalonia to try to curb the rise of Aliança Catalana.