Barcelona deputy mayor suggests El Corte Inglés as a heat refuge

Barcelona deputy mayor suggests El Corte Inglés as a heat refuge
If Barcelona's deputy mayor Albert Batlle believes the answer to the heat is for citizens to take shelter in El Corte Inglés, as his aunt used to do, then the city's climate policy has reached a critical point. The remark, reported by El Mundo, sparked controversy over what many see as outsourcing public responsibility to private hands. Batlle, who is in charge of Prevention and Safety, said verbatim: "I had an aunt who spent the summer in El Corte Inglés." Far from being a charming anecdote, the comment reveals the absence of a structured network of climate shelters in a city facing increasingly intense heatwaves.

An anecdote that defines the absence of public policy
Batlle's recommendation is not an isolated case of what has been called "institutional shrugging-off" on social media. It is proof that Barcelona City Council has failed to roll out an official network of accessible, free cool spaces. While other cities have turned libraries, civic centres and sports facilities into climate shelters, Barcelona appears to be delegating the job to large commercial stores. Batlle himself drew on a family memory to illustrate what is, in fact, a common practice among retirees: spending the hottest hours in department stores such as El Corte Inglés, Simago or Sepu, as recalled during the debate. But what used to be an individual, improvised solution is now being presented as an official recommendation, with no guarantees of capacity, opening hours or basic services such as water or toilets.

From Simago to El Corte Inglés: a tradition that should not be policy
The debate also revived memories of long-gone department stores such as Simago or Sepu, where entire generations sought cool air and entertainment. Some commenters recalled waiting in the aisles for their parents to finish work, or simply sitting in the display armchairs. That worked when footfall was limited. But in a city of more than 1.6 million inhabitants with poorly insulated housing, overcrowding in these spaces is predictable. One user noted: "If all the hordes of the dispossessed started doing the same, they'd put a stop to it fast." The irony does not hide the underlying issue: the private solution is unsustainable at scale.

The shadow of inequality and institutional cynicism
Others pointed to the contradiction between Batlle's remarks and the attention, in their view, given to unaccompanied migrant minors (known as MENAs in Spain), who are provided with air-conditioned apartments. The comparison, charged with social tension, reflects unease over a perceived unequal treatment. But beyond comparative grievances, what remains is a public policy vacuum: the City Council has not updated its climate shelter plan, as another participant recalled, citing earlier promises by the PSC (Spain's Socialist Party). Meanwhile, Batlle's aunt will probably keep going to El Corte Inglés, but turning a family anecdote into institutional guidance is not a plan against the heat. It is the reflection of a city improvising while the mercury keeps rising.