The PP manages to process the capital law after correcting the mayor of Palma

PalmThe PP has secured the support of the majority of parliamentary groups to begin processing the Palma capital law in Parliament. But it has also had to correct the proposal of the mayor of Palma, the popular Jaime Martínez. The opposition pointed to an additional provision that allowed the elimination of the minimum reserve of official protection or limited-price housing in new urban developments, which will finally disappear from the text. This is what the mayor himself has committed to, who has defended the text in the hemicycle.

Martínez has accepted in statements to the media the correction of the text that yesterday announced the spokesperson for the parliamentary group of the PP, Sebastià Sagreras, insisting that a 50% of official protection and price-limited housing will be ensured in new developments. "That is what it is about, improving the text," said Martínez when asked about this matter. However, he pointed out that it will be the Government who will have the final say in deciding "if it wants to give more tools to the City Council so that it is more agile and the housing crisis can be resolved".

During the parliamentary debate, Martínez defended the law as a "historic opportunity" for Palma, as it will allow for "speed and legal certainty" in the construction of protected housing. Of course, he reiterated, "guaranteeing the protected housing reserves stipulated by law".

For his part, PP deputy Mauricio Rovira defended the purpose of the law. "Being the capital is not easy," he said: "The municipality is to be provided with powers, resources, and tools." "Its main functions are to determine sectors of shared interest, assess the costs of the capital status, regulate digitalization and citizen participation, divide the municipality into districts, and create the ombudsman for citizens," he explained, and he criticized MÉS per Mallorca and Més per Menorca, who voted against the law: "They come to take credit and criticize, but when you were in government, you did not approve it".

However, MÉS per Mallorca deputy Ferran Rosa warned that he does not trust the PP's change of criteria, which has now said that it will guarantee the number of protected housing units. "They have come out to disavow their mayor's proposal," said the eco-sovereigntist: "We do not trust you, because your history vouches for you." He also criticized Martínez for not having explained how the additional thirty million euros per year for the city guaranteed by the law will be invested.

For their part, the spokesperson for the PSIB, Iago Negueruela, has justified his vote in favor of processing the law, insisting that they will present amendments. "The best thing for Palma is to improve people's lives," stated Negueruela, who will foreseeably be the socialists' candidate for the city elections: "We offer sincere dialogue to the mayor and the popular parliamentary group." The PSIB has facilitated the processing of the law even though the PP did not need their votes. They have done so, according to parliamentary group sources, due to the increase in resources that Palma will receive, but also to avoid Vox's influence in the processing.