In general, these are to do with public services and social rights. A specific aspect of the latter is the right to universal health care. The Rajoy administration had been challenging the Balearic government's provision of free health care to immigrants "without papers". Armengol wants a 2012 decree issued by the now former PP government to be repealed.
Armengol has repeatedly advocated the government model that exists in the Balearics as one that Sánchez should adopt. That means a coalition of the left. In the Balearics, however, Podemos are not formally part of the government. And nor are Podemos likely to enter a Sánchez government. PSOE appear to be ruling this out, at least for the time being. Their minority government will be even more of a minority than the Partido Popular's was.
Nevertheless, Pere Joan Pons, a PSOE member of Congress for the Balearics, has echoed Armengol's views by insisting that in the Balearics there is experience of a "valid model" of a left-wing pact.
Other aspects of Balearic legislation (some of yet to be enacted) which might be transferrable to Madrid include the laws on democratic memory and Civil War graves, the guaranteed social income, equality, housing, and limits to plastic and vehicles.
It is not thought that Armengol or other PSOE ministers in the Balearics are about to become national ministers. For Armengol, she would prefer continuity on the islands. Sánchez becoming prime minister, she will believe, will strengthen her chances of re-election next spring.
As for a possible replacement for the PP's Maria Salom as national government delegate in the Balearics, a name being mentioned is Bel Oliver of PSOE. She is a member of the Balearic parliament but doesn't have a ministerial function. Close to President Armengol, she has held government and Council of Majorca positions in the past. These could also make her a contender to become the national secretary of state for tourism. She was the councillor for tourism at the Council of Majorca when Armengol was president and was also secretary general at the Balearic tourism ministry when the original ecotax was introduced by the Francesc Antich PSOE-led government of 1999 to 2003.
4 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
A rose by any other name is still a rose !
The last tourist tax crippled the industry - we had 5 very hard seasons and then recession was upon us. Many did not survive and lost everything.
Let's see if our first lady's smile will get our budget passed through parliament as promised by Rajoy. If so, there will be no need for the crippling tourist tax which is destroying local businesses.
It seems that Majorca wants to continue with it's left-wing policies and introduce yet more left-wing policies,the end for Majorca can't be far of if they continue down this road.