The pact was created because of concerns about overtourism. | Pere Bota

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The Forum for Civil Society has provisionally suspended its participation in the Balearic Government's social and political pact for sustainability and will not return to the pact's working parties until "a participatory, rigorous and transparent methodology" is applied.

Various representatives of the forum have expressed their dissatisfaction in recent weeks, and on October 15 the forum openly criticised the pact for being "technocratic, with little participation and with an excess of representation of the tourist business sector to the detriment of civil society".

A decision about the forum's participation was due to have been taken on Monday. An assembly instead met on Thursday evening. Its withdrawal from the working parties - it has had representation in nine of the twelve - means that the pact is stripped of the involvement of, among others, unions, citizens' associations, the Pimem federation for small and medium-sized business associations, and environmentalists.

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In order to return to the pact, the forum is calling for the repeal of the administrative simplification law, which was passed by parliament on Tuesday, the creation of a "real, diverse and recognised" group of experts from both the private sector and civil society, as well as a methodology for debate and an equal composition of participants in the working groups that represents "the interests of all".

It is also demanding "transparent monitoring" and a solution to administrative problems, such as a lack of minutes of meetings. In short, the forum wants a change in methodology and objectives so that the pact "stops being a waste of time for participating entities".

The forum's decision is a major blow to the government. The deliberations of the working parties, designed to map out the islands' future tourism model, are due to be concluded by February next year. More than this is the fact that the government and the tourism sector have been talking up the need for citizen participation and for listening to what the public thinks. It is precisely this lack of listening that the forum is highlighting.