A law student from a small Catalan city bordering France won the municipal election. Gael Rodríguez will become the Portbou mayor next week. At the family bar Casa David, founded by his great-grandparents in post-war Portbou and now run by his parents, Gael Rodríguez has absorbed the virtues he considers essential to be a good mayor, listening and serving.
“Being a waiter is not just about serving coffee at the table, sometimes we are also psychologists, other times comedians. There, I have actually learned to listen and serve, qualities that anyone who wants to hold a public office should have,” La Vanguardia quotes Gael’s commentary. A 19-year-old man will become the youngest mayor in Spain on June 17th.
Just by watching him in action at the business, where he started helping his grandmother in the kitchen at the age of 10, one can see the connection he has with the clientele. Both regulars and passers-by, of which there are many in this border town. Portbou is on the border with France. The population is just over a thousand people.
Gael has broken several barriers in these elections, being a newcomer in many aspects. It was the first time he could vote, the first time he headed a candidacy, and against all odds, he became the youngest winner of these municipal elections.
“Being a waiter is not just about serving coffee at the table, sometimes we are also psychologists, other times comedians. There, I have actually learned to listen and serve, qualities that anyone who wants to hold a public office should have,” La Vanguardia quotes Gael’s commentary. A 19-year-old man will become the youngest mayor in Spain on June 17th.
Just by watching him in action at the business, where he started helping his grandmother in the kitchen at the age of 10, one can see the connection he has with the clientele. Both regulars and passers-by, of which there are many in this border town. Portbou is on the border with France. The population is just over a thousand people.
Gael has broken several barriers in these elections, being a newcomer in many aspects. It was the first time he could vote, the first time he headed a candidacy, and against all odds, he became the youngest winner of these municipal elections.