Barcellona e la rete Eurocities: tra cooperazione urbana e articolazione politica (1986-91)

Abstract

After the Franco dictatorship, Barcelona emerged as a global city. The first democratic city councils opened up and projected the city into Europe and the world, launching a city brand symbolized by the 1992 Olympic Games. This initiative also created the opportunity for Barcelona to become a reference point for international municipalism. The city and the concept of municipalism are central elements in the political thought of Pasqual Maragall. As mayor of Barcelona, he promoted an international municipalist agenda that focused on cooperation in urban policies and the city’s presence on the international stage. This led to the promotion of city networks as tools for stabilizing new urban governance spaces and for engaging in the post-Cold War international relations system. This article analyzes how the creation of the Eurocities network fostered an experience of urban cooperation and political organization, proposing an inclusive approach for cities to participate in the European integration process.