In the old royal shipyards, now converted into the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, EL PAÍS celebrated this Monday one of the most special and emotional nights in its history: the gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the newspaper, which was first published on May 4, 1976. After three days of festival with readers at Matadero Madrid, the celebration concluded with a gala in the majestic vaulted-ceiling building by the sea, attended by the Kings; the second vice president of the Government, Yolanda Díaz; the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa; the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and other personalities from the political, social, and cultural worlds.
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On a stage presided over by the first front page of the newspaper on May 4, 1976, actress Cristina Plazas opened the ceremony with a monologue in which she put herself in the shoes of someone who was born and raised with EL PAÍS. Plazas gave a theatrical journey through its developments, which are the same as those of democracy, with episodes of euphoria over new freedoms and moments of trembling at attempts of regression.
After an acoustic musical performance by Carola Ortiz, a student at Taller de Músics, Jan Martínez Ahrens, director of EL PAÍS, opened the commemorative event, which included speeches by president Salvador Illa and Prisa president Joseph Oughourlian. The King closed the event, wishing that the children and grandchildren of all present can celebrate the 100 years of a newspaper that has shaped the Spanish and international agenda.
Upon arrival, the Kings visited an exhibition of Moments, inaugurated at the EL PAÍS Festival in Madrid and installed for the occasion with about ten of the 50 photographs selected by Marisa Florez. Those same images caught the attention of other guests, including representatives from the political and economic worlds such as former Congress president Meritxell Batet; Justice counselor Ramon Espadaler, historic union leader Joan Coscubiela, president of the Barcelona Provincial Council Lluïsa Moret; Economy counselor Alicia Romero, and the leader of the PP in Barcelona, Daniel Sirera. The party was also attended by former president José Montilla, president of Foment del Treball Josep Sánchez Llibre; businessman Tatxo Benet, Mango CEO Toni Ruiz, businesswoman Mercè Conesa, and lawyer Carlos Martell.
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From the cultural and social world, astronaut Sara García Alonso, comedian Andreu Buenafuente, chef Carme Ruscalleda, artist Mariscal, architect Benedetta Tagliabue, editor Isabel Obiols, illustrator Jordi Labanda, writer Gabriel Ventura, CCCB director Judith Carrera; Mikel Iturriaga, founder of El Comidista, as well as comedian Bob Pop, among others, attended.
After the speeches, the party continued with a standing dinner, enlivened by Juicy, a band from Taller de Músics. The same music school in Barcelona accompanied the Ortega y Gasset Awards ceremony, held Monday at noon in the Saló de Cent of the Barcelona City Hall. The awardees Svetlana Alexievich, Martin Baron, and Sergio Ramírez attended the celebration at the EL PAÍS Maritime Museum, a newspaper that is also a reference for them, as they said in their thank-you messages. During hers, Nobel Prize in Literature Svetlana Alexievich recalled that Pilar Bonet, the newspaper’s historic correspondent in Moscow, was responsible for her love of EL PAÍS. No greater praise can be asked for.
