An ignored generation

In the last general policy debate of the Consell de Mallorca, the president dedicated only two sentences to an entire generation. Two sentences to talk about the present and future of thousands of young people who live with anguish today. And it is not an exaggeration. Anguish for not being able to access decent housing. Anguish for a labor market that does not guarantee stability or rights. Anguish for an education that could be much better, public and of quality. Anguish, in short, for an increasingly widespread feeling, that of expulsion from our own land. Faced with this reality, what do institutions offer? Self-satisfaction, empty headlines, and showy policies. It is no use talking about travel or leisure while an entire generation does not know if they will be able to build their life project in Mallorca. But the problem goes further. Not only is youth not heard, but their participation is not encouraged either. Cutting support for youth organizations like Joves de Mallorca per la Llengua is a political mistake and also a mistake for the country. We have seen it with the strength of Acampallengua and Correllengua Agermanat; there is a generation that is alive, active, and committed. It only remains for institutions to want to listen to it. It also happens with the social fabric of the towns. The quintos, the associations, the collectives that make a town. Perhaps because organized youth is also critical youth. And critical youth questions, proposes and demands. It demands decent housing, better public transport, labor rights, quality public education in Catalan. It demands, in short, a future. And when this space does not exist, when there are no real participation channels, when debates and active listening are not generated, some young people seek answers elsewhere. And this is dangerous. Because the feeling of abandonment is the best ally of far-right options. The Council of Mallorca may not have all the powers, but it does have a responsibility, to listen, to connect and to lead. It can meet with young people, understand what they think, what they need, what they propose. It can talk about mental health, social networks, training, the future. It can, if it wants to, be useful. The question is whether he wants to be. Because today, the feeling is clear, this generation is not a priority for either the PP or Vox. And this has consequences. But there is also a certainty. In 2027, this same generation will have its say. And it can decide whether to continue with governments that ignore it or bet on a future where, finally, it is taken into account. Because Mallorca has no future without its youth. And the youth are no longer willing to wait.