Alfonso Rodríguez leaves the delegation of the Spanish government to try to be mayor of Calvià again

PalmaAlfonso Rodríguez announced this Wednesday that he will leave his post as delegate of the Spanish government in the Balearic Islands to dedicate himself fully to preparing for the May 2027 elections and attempting to regain the mayoralty of Calvià. Rodríguez stated that this decision has nothing to do with the general elections on November 29, which "have crossed paths" with his decision, made since he announced he would run in the municipal elections.

"I knew that in the autumn I had to dedicate myself entirely to Calvià. The challenge of recovering the municipality is not easy," he explained. Rodríguez has not clarified what will happen during this month and a half at the government delegation when he is not there. "The secretary general could remain in an acting capacity or they could choose another delegate. It is a decision that does not correspond to me," he pointed out. "I have decided to put an end to my time as [Spanish] government delegate," Rodríguez stated on his social media. "I believe that both responsibilities require full and exclusive dedication," he added.

In this way, Rodríguez is leaving the government delegation without the National Police charges against some participants in the protest against tourist saturation on July 26 having been clarified, even thoughthe day after the demonstration he called a press conference to criticize the "excessive" action of the National Police and announce that he had commissioned urgent reports to "determine the responsibilities for it."

Just before, another controversial episode was the arrest of two anti-touristification activists in Santa Maria. Faced with criticism from MÉS per Mallorca and other groups, Rodríguez asked for respect for the Civil Guard's actions and reminded that the officers were acting under judicial authority.

Alfonso Rodríguez (Zaragoza, 1964) arrived at the mayoralty of Calvià in 2015 after three terms of PP governments, and was mayor of this municipality until 2023. In December of that year, he left his position as spokesperson for the socialists in the Calvià municipality, when he was appointed delegate of the Spanish government replacing Aina Calvo. He has been secretary of the Socialist Group of Calvià since 2012.

A controversial period at the head of the delegation

The police charges of June 26th have not been the only controversy that has surrounded Rodríguez during his time as delegate. The management of the arrival of immigrants in the Balearic Islands has also been the subject of criticism by the right and the far-right. Faced with the increase in the arrival of small boats (a 24.5% increase from 2024 to 2025), Rodríguez defended the investment of 6.7 million euros in reception and custody facilities at the ports of Palma, Ibiza, and Formentera, in addition to the reinforcement of police and Maritime Rescue personnel.

However, organizations such as the Novact Institute and Irídia Center for the Defense of Human Rights have denounced the conditions in which people arriving in Mallorca by small boat find themselves, while the delegation has downplayed the severity of some situations, which they attribute to peaks in arrivals.

Regarding the extraordinary regularization that the Spanish government has carried out this year, Rodríguez has repeatedly denounced the obstacles put up by the PP and Vox.

Rodríguez has also acted as a spokesperson for state policies in the Balearic Islands and has demanded that Marga Prohens' government apply the rent price limitation that the state Housing Law allows in stressed areas.