Prohens defends herself against accusations from the left of fueling "speculation": "They propose to expropriate"

PalmaThe President of the Government, Marga Prohens, defended herself this Tuesday in the plenary session against accusations from the leader of MÉS per Mallorca, Lluís Apesteguia, and the leader of Unides Podem, José María García, of favoring "speculation" in housing. The eco-sovereigntist demanded that the purchase of homes by legal entities—investment funds, commercial companies, and businesses—be prohibited and that tools be given to stressed municipalities to establish that purchased homes must be linked to being a habitual residence for a certain period. However, the president accused him of defending "expropriation".

During the government control session, Apesteguia brought back to the table the bill from MÉS per Mallorca to fight against housing speculation. This regulation is based on the distinction between the social function and the financial return of housing. In addition to limiting purchases for non-residential purposes, it proposes, among other issues, limiting the acquisition of second homes and making it mandatory for properties to be used as a primary residence, preventing them from being turned into tourist or seasonal rentals.

The deputy recalled that there are approximately 100,000 empty homes in the Islands, and has again proposed that municipalities with a high proportion of them be able to establish that homes acquired during a certain period must be used as a primary residence. "The choice is very clear: either life or speculation," he continued. In parallel, the deputy from Unides Podem José María García, from the mixed group, questioned the measures adopted by the Government and detailed that housing prices continue to rise.

"Should we expropriate houses from Mallorcans who have them empty in their town?", Prohens replied to Apesteguia: "That is what you told us here". "This is the proposal: to expropriate homes that are empty", she insisted. In this regard, she defended the Government's commitment to "build affordable housing for the people from here" and snapped at the eco-sovereigntist: "You will have no other choice but to vote for the PP". In response to the deputy from Podem, Prohens insisted that she does not rule out limiting the purchase of properties by non-residents if Europe opens the door to this possibility, as long as it does not affect the citizens of the Islands.

Parliament begins the processing of the vehicle limitation in Menorca

The plenary session of Parliament has given the green light to take into consideration the modification of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Law, which will allow for setting limits on the entry of vehicles to the island with the goal of it coming into force next summer. The regulation begins its processing with the support of all groups and the abstention of Vox, which considers that the objective of the regulation is a "revenue-collecting zeal".

The debate began with the intervention of three representatives of the Council of Mallorca, although the president, Adolfo Vilfranca, was not there. The Minister of Environment, Simón Gornés, highlighted the "important step" being taken to "reconcile the protection of the territory with economic prosperity". The Minister of Mobility, Juan Manuel Delgado, committed in his intervention to the restriction being operational next season. The PSOE, thanks to whose support the modification was able to be approved in the Council of Menorca, reproached the PP for having rejected the different initiatives that had been presented with the same objective during the legislature.