Why MORE must learn to grow up without ceasing to be useful
My party, MÁS per Mallorca, has called its congress for next month. And I couldn't resist getting involved—what can we do, that's just how we are. Because for an outside observer—or even for a moderately astute activist—the situation within the eco-sovereignist movement is starting to resemble that moment when you walk into a room and can't remember what you came there to do. You want to do something (useful?), yes, but political Alzheimer's has suddenly struck, and you end up shuffling through old papers and pretending to be very busy. And that's where we are: very busy, but without knowing exactly what we're doing.
MÁS, that charming invention that emerged when neither the CUP nor Podemos existed, had a clear mission from the start: to unite the disaffected. I'm talking about the 15M movement, the anti-TIL movement, and the middle classes fed up with cuts, corruption, Rajoy, and Bauzà. In this context, and quite astutely, the PSM, Els Verds, and some former IU members saw the opportunity and thought: "Look, if we put together an electoral coalition with this bunch, maybe even the hipsters in Palma will vote for us." And it worked. But of course, the problem is that what was meant to be an electoral platform has ended up pretending to be a party. With headquarters, bylaws, and everything, but without a clear idea of whether we're a group of friends, a neighborhood assembly, or a branch of some NGO.
The result of all this is clear: a permanent existential crisis.
A good example of this mess is electoral alliances. Since Más hasn't finished its political "refounding," every time there's talk of forming a coalition, it's like the end of the world. The old-guard Catalan nationalists pull their hair out at the mere mention of Sumar or the Spanish left, as if this were a betrayal of the cause. The more left-leaning members, on the other hand, get angry if anyone in the party even mentions Catalonia or sovereignty. Almost no one realizes that the debate isn't about who we form a coalition with, but whether we really know who we are (spoiler alert: not very much).
Meanwhile, the grassroots activists are somewhat adrift, like they're playing a game of "Who's Who" on the left: "This one's a feminist, but speaks Spanish; this one's an environmentalist, but voted for Podemos; this one's a pro-independence supporter, but lives in Calvià..." And that's how nothing solid can be built. The danger is falling into complacency and locking ourselves into a "only we are the real deal" mentality that destroys any possibility of left-wing unity out of sheer pride. And it wouldn't be necessary: MÁS could be the center of an open, progressive, environmentalist, and feminist Mallorcan project, capable of inspiring the people who drive the country from the ground up: those who organize Correllengua, defend public healthcare, or fight against mass tourism, for example. But for that, we need leadership, clear ideas, and a little less fear of losing control. In short: it's time to shed our inferiority complex.
Given this situation, I've decided to make a short list of pending tasks. Without grand speeches or savior complexes, here are some ideas that I think we left-wing Mallorcans should discuss to finally clear our minds. First, local government must be our focus: it's where we're strong, where politics still has a face and meaning, and where we can transform reality. We need to coordinate better and make this local network our driving force, a way to do politics in a positive way. We also need to learn to communicate differently, using accessible and understandable language, and stop being the "Party of No": criticism is necessary, but people want to hear concrete proposals and solutions. Furthermore, we need to overcome our indecisiveness and learn from our experience in government: being a partner of the PSOE has shown us that managing is not the same as making decisions. Autonomy isn't enough, and governing without sovereignty is simply being administrators of a system designed to ensure that nothing really changes. We must also talk about Spain and Europe, about real challenges such as the rise of the far right and immigration, and remember that we are part of a European project like the European Free Alliance, which gives meaning to our modern and open sovereignty. And, above all, it is necessary to move beyond the defeats of 2015 and overcome our fear of leading. We are an alternative because of our vision for the country, not because we want to be more left-wing than anyone else.
And above all else, we must reaffirm our ideals: Catalan nationalism, environmentalism, and progressivism. We must speak plainly and get our hands dirty, not on the carpet. Only in this way can we forge the most effective alliance for 2027. With one clear objective: to win votes, rebuild a left-wing bloc, and, if possible, oust Prohens once and for all. Much has already been written, enough papers have been presented: now it's time to read them, define ourselves, and act.
However, I have a feeling that the focus of the congress will be on something else entirely. We know how this goes: there will be a lot of talk about names, lists, who's rising and who's falling, as if it all boils down to who looks best in the photo. And it's a shame, because, although names do carry weight—and let me be clear: I like Luis Apesteguia—none of that is truly important if we don't address the substance. What really matters is whether we want to be of service to the people of this island again. Because Mallorca, this island of tourists, developers, and omnipresent hoteliers, needs a Mallorcan, left-wing, and environmentalist party more than ever. A courageous party, with its own ideas and its sights set on the future, not on positions of power. Because if this congress doesn't help us get back on track, everything else—the names, the quotas, the photos—will just be background noise. Time will tell.