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Jaume Matas

President of the Balearics

Jaume Matas yesterday apologised to the people of Andratx. “Perhaps all the parties have made mistakes” he said. “During this current legislature the Socialist and Majorcan Union parties have also been in power in Andratx.” Matas also said that as “a politician and president of the Balearic government and the Partido Popular,” he accepted his share of responsibility.
He said that he fully respects the action of the judiciary and the police “we can not allow any suspicion of corruption in local councils,” he added before saying that he is confident that the Andratx scandal is not on the same scale as the one in Marbella.

Mariano Rajoy

Leader of Spain's opposition Popular Party

Rajoy said any member of his party caught acting illegally would be thrown out immediately. “If anyone from this party commits a crime, I want them to be immediately out on the streets,” he said. “In a political party, there are going to be all kinds. But, we are a serious alternative to the present government, we want to govern Spain and I'm not prepared to allow three, four, five or 17 people damage the hard work which the party has carried out.”

Francina Armengol

Balearic PSOE Socialist party spokesperson

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” the opposition Socialist party claimed yesterday.
The PSOE also accused the Partido Popular of “being involved in a network of organised planning and building corruption in different local councils” from the moment the party returned to power.

She also accused the PP of having failed to act quick enough. “The Socialist party has brought the situation in Andratx up in parliament on a number of occasions, but the PP just washed their hands of it,” the PSOE spokesperson said, adding that the mayor should have resigned earlier. “But only a month ago, the PP named Hidalgo as their candidate at the local elections. “The PP can not continue to ignore what's going on in the councils of Andratx, Santa Margalida and Calvia - all run by PP councils.”

Maria Antonia Munar

President of Council of Majorca and the UM

“Extremely serious” is how the leader of the Majorcan Union party and president of the Council of Majorca, Maria Antonia Munar, described the situation yesterday.

She also said that she hopes that this scandal does not develop into one similar to that rocking Marbella. “I hope these are isolated cases and that Majorca is not Marbella, that would be very bad for the image of the island which is known for its quality of life and as a tranquil destination for tourists.” She also said that the Council of Majorca has, for some time, been advising local councils to adhere to the new Council planning norms in order to “avoid any problems.”

Miquel Àngel March

Environmental group GOB

Spokesperson for the Balearic environmental group GOB, Miguel Angel March yesterday accused Balearic planning chief Jaume Massot of being the “real brains” behind the building and planning irregularities in Andratx.

March claimed it has been Massot “pulling” the strings and not Hidalgo. “We're not talking about recent irregularities, but a steady string of irregularities which have been carried out over time and which Jaume Massot was quite possibly involved in or aware of” March said.

March said that this kind of corruption, such as building on protected areas or on rural land, requires the involvement of a whole team of people from planning chiefs to council engineers, site foremen, local councillors and, as appears to be the case in Andratx, the mayor.

GOB has reported Andratx council for breaking planning rules and regulations on at least 40 occasions.