Antich holds final meeting with PM over new finance powers

PALMA
THE President of the Balearics, Francesc Antich, yesterday held his final round of talks with the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to discuss the new financial powers Madrid is going to award the Balearics.

Central government's decision to hand over more financial control of public funding to a number of regional governments has angered the conservative Partido Popular opposition but Antich travelled to Madrid yesterday will the full backing of the Balearic commerce and industry sectors which support his stance that the islands deserve a better financial deal because of its floating population and the extra costs involved with caring for the millions of tourists which visit the region.