The name of Joan Manuel Serrat will disappear from one of Algete’s best-known municipal buildings.
Last week, the City Council approved the name change so that the building would be renamed Cruz Epifanio Mateo Fernández, in recognition of the man who has just been declared an Honorary Citizen of the City. The decision, backed by the governing coalition formed by the PP, UCIN, and Unión Santo Domingo, has sparked a debate that goes beyond the new tribute: the opposition believes that honoring a local figure did not require removing the name of the Catalan singer-songwriter.
The measure was approved at an extraordinary plenary session held behind closed doors, a detail that has fueled criticism from the PSOE and Vecinos por Algete. Both groups support the recognition of Cruz Epifanio Mateo Fernández, known in the municipality for his career in music, education, and local cultural life, but they reject the fact that the tribute was achieved by replacing a name that had been associated with the building for nearly twenty years.
A name change that divides the town
The City Council maintains that the new name reflects the desire to recognize the historical contribution of Cruz Epifanio Mateo Fernández to life in Algete. Among his achievements are his work as a teacher, director of the Villa de Algete Music Band, and promoter of various cultural initiatives in the municipality.
The local government also argues that Joan Manuel Serrat has no direct connection to the town and that there is no other municipal space whose characteristics better fit the honoree’s career.
The opposition, however, believes that both figures are compatible. Juan Jesús Valle, spokesperson for the PSOE in Algete, has publicly argued that the municipality could honor Cruz Epifanio without removing Serrat’s name. The Socialist Party maintains that the singer is a widely recognized cultural figure and notes that he was present at the building’s inauguration in 2007.
Vecinos por Algete holds a similar position. The group submitted objections during the public comment period in an attempt to preserve the building’s current name, arguing that Serrat’s name is already part of the collective memory of many residents.