Eduardo Barrachina, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in London, died with the same grace, courage and consideration that he showed to his friends during his life. He was a tireless promoter of commercial relations between the United Kingdom and Spain, a brilliant columnist, enjoyed his private member clubs and was a passionate traveller. London is mourning Eduardo, not only the Spanish community that adored him, but also the British, especially his fellow members of the Travellers' Club.
Eduardo was born in Alcoy on the 23 July 1978. He spent his youth in Barcelona, where he graduated in Law. In 2003, he travelled to New Delhi to work for the law firm Fox & Mandal. India was his third love, after Spain and England, and he travelled extensively in the subcontinent, where he made many friends.
He established himself as a lawyer in London, where he had a brilliant career at White & Case and Linklaters. Over time, he fell in love with the city, without forgetting his beloved Spain. When the difficult days of the financial crisis arrived, extended in Spain´s case by the challenge for independence in 2017, he stepped forward to defend our country's reputation, both in collaboration with the embassy and directly with the British media, and in his leadership of the Chamber of Commerce, which he chaired since 2018.
Anticipating the consequences of Brexit, he doubled the Chamber's activities and managed to guide our companies through the complex transition. Four years later, Spain enjoys a trade surplus with the UK.
Thanks to Eduardo, we have one of the most powerful Spanish Chambers in the world, linked at the highest level to government and British business through an impressive public agenda. His initiatives include the Financial Forum, the Investment Barometer or Women Who Inspire, which supports Spanish professionals living in London in their various fields.
Eduardo was a great advocate of diversity and inclusion, making the Chamber of Commerce a model in this regard. In collaboration with the Embassy, he organised the first LGTBI+ event in this diplomatic seat, 'Proud of our Pride', which is now in its third year and has become a point of reference for the Spanish community, as well as for British politicians and businessmen. On 6th March, he attended the Embassy's celebration of International Women's Day, which he helped to organise, to the applause of more than two hundred people. This was his last public appearance.
A man of memorable gatherings and speeches, Eduardo stood out as an excellent orator and essayist, a regular on the pages of the main Spanish newspapers with his elegant and cultured writing. He was a reference in the Spanish-British Tertulias, where he stood out for his profound understanding of the realities of both countries. He combined his Spanish patriotism with a sincere love for the British and their traditions, expressing in his person the friendship between the two countries that has led us to share almost a million inhabitants.
Eduardo, you leave us just as the cherry blossoms and camellias are blooming in the garden squares of Belgravia, and spring appears on the corners of your beloved St James's with the promise of a new season that you will no longer see. Your silhouette disappears up the Travellers' staircase and with it an important part of us. Eduardo, may the great poets you admired bid your farewell, dear friend. Auden with “Stop the clocks, cut off the telephone” and, above all, Lorca with “Tú arriba, en lo alto, verde y frío, olvídate y olvida el mundo vano, delicado Eduardo, amigo mío”.
José Pascual Marco
Spanish Ambassador at the United Kingdom