Speaker of the Balearic Parliament calls for reform of Constitution

The Speaker of the Balearic Parliament, Maximiliano Morales, used his speech on Balearic Islands Day to call for changes to the Spanish Constitution, which would convert the Senate into a forum for the regions. But, he added, “there is room for all Spaniards in the Constitution,” which is not, in his opinion, “untouchable.” He said that when the Constituion was approved, the autonomous regions, with the exception of the Basque Country and Catalonia, did not exist. “But today they are a reality and they work.” He went on to say that the Senate had not adapted to this change to the political reality of the country. Morales was speaking before a gathering of representatives of Balearic political, economic and social circles. He said that the Senate merely reproduced the majority votes of Congress which made its political utility questionable, describing it as “empty of content but rich in possibilities.” Another keynote in his speech was a wish for regional communities to have a greater say in the committees that attend European Union meetings. Finally, he underlined the importance of the Balearic parliament's work since March last year, which included laws such as the tourist tax, commerce, stable couples, the heritage and the island councils. Elsewhere in Palma, people queued up for the guided tours of government headquarters, the Consolat de Mar, which held an open doors day. Despite the threat of rain, lots of children turned up at the Huerto del Rey, where entertainment had been laid on for them, and there was a good turn out for the market held in Plaça Drassana, where there were demonstrations of various crafts.