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THE Andratx corruption scandal has not only hit the national and international headlines but also sparked a political war of words.
During this current legislature, the Mayor of Andratx Eugenio Hidalgo has changed his political allegiances on three separate occasions in order to remain in power.

At first, on behalf of the Andratx Alliance Party he represented, he formed a short-lived pact with the Partido Popular, then he entered into a tri-party coalition with the UM Majorcan Union party and the PSOE socialists before absolving his Alliance party and joining the Partido Popular.

Yesterday, former Balearic president and secretary general of the main opposition PSOE socialist party, Francesc Antich, said that his party is seriously considering calling for a full parliamentary investigation into the Andratx scandal. “This whole thing is embarrassing for the people of the Balearics” and he also called on his successor and president of the Balearic Partido Popular, Jaume Matas to give parliament a full explanation as to what is going on and in to his relationship with Hidalgo.

Antich also said that they may call on the Balearic Minister for Public Works, Margarita Isabel Cabrer to address the house. The Planning department, of which the arrested Jaume Massot is director, is part of her ministry.

She replied yesterday saying that she would answer questions on government policy and activities but not planning activity on Andratx council as it is not her ministry's responsibility.

The PSM Majorcan Nationalist Party wasted no time in accusing Matas of trying to shirk his and his party's responsibilities by trying to blame all the parties on Andratx council. “Matas should stop trying to play the innocent victim. He knew exactly who he was forming a political pact with when he teamed up with Hidalgo,” Andratx PSM councillor Gabriel Puigserver said, before denying claims made by Matas on Monday that the PSM had ever entered into a political pact with Hidalgo.

However, Balearic vice-president, Rosa Estarás, went on the defensive yesterday accusing the PSOE socialists of also “making a mistake” when they formed a political pact, which lasted 18 months, with Hidalgo.

Socialist leader Antich claimed that Matas “must be the only person to have been surprised by what has happened because everyone knew what was going on.” But Estaras hit back “neither Matas nor Antich, nobody knew what was happening. We all made a mistake when we agreed to form a political pact with a man involved in so much corruption,” she said. “At times like this we have to stand together in the fight against corruption, we should neither be starting witch hunts nor fighting amongst ourselves, what sort of impression is that to give the electorate? “Neither Matas not Antich were aware of what was going on, otherwise the socialists would not have supported him for a year-and-a-half.” The parliamentary spokesperson for the United Left-Green coalition, Miquel Rosselló, said yesterday that they hope this is “the first step towards stamping out corruption in Majorca which is infested with corruption.”