That the Spanish regional economies advance at different speeds is no secret. But the convergence between them –and the ranking of the autonomous communities that accelerate the most in per capita GDP growth– has been changing recently. A report published yesterday by the Bank of Spain confirms that Aragón has displaced Catalonia among the most dynamic regions in Europe and places its capacity to convert resources into economic growth at a level similar to that of the Community of Madrid and the Basque Country.

Matías Carnero (Barcelona, 1968) assures that he will vote against the disappearance of the Seat brand if it is brought to the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen group, of which he is a part. The president of the Seat works council maintains that the Spanish industry cannot afford to lose a historic emblem for the automotive sector due to the consequences for employment and the economy.

It had been an open secret for several years that there were no plans to electrify Seat models. All public and private resources allocated to the technology shift (from combustion to electric) were going to the Cupra brand, which had higher margins. What was not clear was how long Seat models would continue to be sold. And although combustion cars can be assembled in Europe until 2035, from 2030 it will be complex to manage – due to costs – the production of 100% diesel or gasoline cars in Martorell. In that scenario, the end of the historic Spanish automotive brand would be inevitable. The shock caused last week when Volkswagen set a date for the possible end of the brand triggered all alarms, despite being a problem known for years. There is still a lot of employment at stake if there are no alternatives.