Prudence eclipsed chaos
There were reasons to fear the worst: an exceptional total solar eclipse coincided with one of the days of greatest human pressure of the year and with the Islands, especially Mallorca, becoming the center of world attention. It was like a stress test for islands that live at the limit of their capacity. And yet, the balance of August 12th is, despite the incidents, very positive.
Yes, especially due to the behavior of citizens. The residents exercised prudence and pragmatism that should be valued. Very aware that every August 12th the Balearic Islands are already overflowing with people and adding to the anticipation for the eclipse, many understood that it made little sense to add more pressure to roads, coves, and viewpoints to see for a minute and a half a phenomenon that could be contemplated from closer places. And so, instead of going to look for the perfect spot, many chose a possible spot: a piece of land in Pla de Mallorca, the roof of their house, the neighbor's, or any nearby place with views of the sunset. Even if the perspective was not the best. Because, in this case, seeing the eclipse did not necessarily require moving. And many islanders, tired of the usual traffic jams, preferred not to turn an exceptional experience into another day trapped in a car.
The Government, for its part, reacted late and fearfully to the generated expectation and ended up adopting very restrictive measures, more typical of a police state than an administration that could have anticipated the phenomenon with a more proactive attitude. In other words, it would have been desirable to arrive earlier and with more proposals and fewer prohibitions. But it would be unfair to deny that prevention was necessary. The restrictions also had a deterrent effect and probably contributed to avoiding more complicated situations. The normality of the outcome is not only a merit of the operation, but it cannot be dissociated from it either.
The eclipse was not just an exceptional phenomenon. It was a test that arrived at the worst possible moment, when the Balearic Islands are enduring maximum pressure on territory and population. For a few hours, the Islands were in the spotlight. And this further highlighted the underlying problem: we live so saturated that any spark can ignite the territory.
The sea was a good example of this. If the roads held up better than some predicted, the pressure shifted to the sea. The concentration of boats to observe the eclipse was an eloquent image of a space that also has limits and often falls outside the debate on overpopulation.
Therefore, beyond celebrating that the eclipse did not end in chaos, it is worth remembering the lesson. Citizens have shown that they can act sensibly when they have information, are aware of the limits, and understand that not everything should be done at any cost.