Juanjo Ferrer: "The PP and PSOE are fostering an extreme right wing that, with four videos on TikTok, should do nothing more than sit back and watch."

IbizaJuanjo Ferrer was born in Sant Antoni de Portmany, is 55 years old, and is a lawyer. Thanks to a coalition of all the left-wing parties in the Pitiusas Islands, he is the current senator for Ibiza and Formentera; he may be the last, because the process for appointing a senator for Formentera itself—the only Spanish island without this representation in the Senate—has begun as an urgent matter. Progressive and independent, Ferrer advocates for left-wing unity to confront a "very dangerous" moment and criticizes the constant infighting between the PP and the PSOE.

It seems that there is light at the end of the tunnel regarding the Formentera senator.

— Yes, we've never gotten this far before, and, moreover, Congress has been asked to expedite the process and hold a single reading. I want to make it very clear that the current situation is a historic injustice not only for Formentera, but also for Ibiza, which is being deprived of the very senator it should have.

How do you assess Vox's negative vote and the PP's abstention?

— We expected Vox to do what they did; they maintained the same vote they had already cast in the Balearic Parliament, with a completely hypocritical discourse, claiming there are too many politicians and that's why they voted against it. As if they weren't politicians themselves and didn't benefit from the system. The PP's change of vote was a very unpleasant surprise, although this time they did vote in favor of processing the matter urgently. Furthermore, the PP had voted in favor every other time, both in the Balearic Parliament and in the Formentera Council; I think that, in Congress, they fell into Vox's trap of saying that voting for a senator for Formentera was voting for a left-wing proposal, which isn't true; it's a proposal in favor of democracy and of redressing an injustice.

He is a senator with an expiration date: by agreement of his coalition, on July 22 he must leave the seat in Formentera, held by Neus Massanet.

— Yes, ha ha ha! This is the system the parties agreed upon, and we've accepted it: three years for the Ibiza candidate and one for the Formentera candidate. This has always been the practice for left-wing Senate candidacies, to ensure Formentera has 'real' representation. Neus Massanet already came to Madrid, and I showed her the Senate; she'll have my full support. This is what was agreed upon, and it's what will be implemented.

The Senate is often criticized for its lack of real effectiveness. In the two and a half years you've been here, have you ever been able to implement policies that actually impact the lives of the people of Ibiza and Formentera?

— Rarely. I would highlight the amendment we were able to include in the Sustainable Mobility Law being processed by Congress, which allows land transport to be free right now in Ibiza and Formentera. If we're talking about practical effects, the Senate has few. But well, if we manage to get the Senate seat for Formentera processed, it will be a historic moment.

Is the Senate an elephant graveyard, as they say?

— Those who say this do have a point. The truth is, the Senate is a chamber that desperately needs reform. They say it represents territorial representation, but that's not entirely accurate; in fact, we can only speak Catalan at specific times, during motions in plenary sessions; everything else must be in Spanish. It's also not truly a chamber of second reading, because while it can amend or improve a law, if something substantial is changed, it's highly likely that the Congress will then reject it. The Senate has little effectiveness. The main effectiveness I see in it now is that the People's Party (PP), with its majority, uses it as a mouthpiece for its policies, and especially for its counter-policies against the Sánchez government.

He arrived in Parliament as the candidate for the Ibiza and Formentera coalition for the Senate, which brings together the entire Pitiusan left, the same type of agreement that also managed to win an election for the right for the first time in the Pitiusas Islands (Pilar Costa, in 1996). How has he received Gabriel Rufián's proposal for a left-wing alliance in the lead-up to the next general election?

— Rufián's event was a presentation with Emilio Delgado, a member of parliament from Más Madrid, which brought together a few other politicians. It was a very personal affair. There's a similar meeting on Saturday, February 21st, organized by Más Madrid, Izquierda Unida, Comunes... I will be attending that one. All of these initiatives are on the right track, but I think Rufián's was more of a personal matter. Saturday's meeting is more about the parties, since they're the ones who make the decisions. I believe we should go into the next elections united in some way, but we also need to create a platform that inspires people and that they can see themselves reflected in.

The electoral cycle that will culminate in the general elections has already begun. For now, the right wing has won by a landslide in the regional elections in Extremadura and Aragon. What's your analysis of the results? Is there room for optimism?

— We must be optimistic. I believe that both the PP and the PSOE are making a mistake in their strategy, because they are giving Vox too many weapons without it having to do anything; the PP and the PSOE are blaming each other, and that only benefits the far right. The PP's results are bad, and the PSOE's are disastrous. But, since there is no more or less unified and serious proposal to the left of the PSOE, there is also no one to capitalize on the socialists' debacle. The PP and the PSOE are fostering a far right that, with a few videos on TikTok or Instagram, doesn't have to do anything but sit back and watch.

What is the PSOE's mistake, apart from corruption?

— Corruption hurts a lot. When it's right-wing corruption, it seems relatively normal, but when it's left-wing corruption, it hurts much more, because corruption isn't inherent to the left. But the PSOE's mistake is that it plays into Vox's hands when it engages in this constant bickering, for example, by accusing the PP of implementing far-right policies. Even if that were true, I think it's an attack that, deep down, doesn't hurt the PP, but it does benefit the far right.

Let's talk about Formentera. In recent years, the island has been facing a massive influx of migrants with virtually no resources. Recently, there was also a fight involving migrant minors. People in Formentera are very worried.

— We shouldn't see immigration as a problem; I believe it's an opportunity. Immigration, including undocumented immigrants, must be addressed as part of state policy, also considering its contribution to the economy. The problem in Formentera is that all these boats arrive, all these people, when Formentera hadn't yet taken the necessary steps to care for its children. These children who arrive have nowhere to go, but even Formentera itself didn't have adequate facilities. We were already starting from a position of lacking resources. Salaries and resources will have to be allocated to care for all the children. There's no other option; it's what the law requires, and we can't turn our backs on them. I would encourage people to adopt a more idealistic perspective: these children are individuals who can be educated and nurtured with our values, so to speak. That's why I also say we must see immigration as an opportunity.

Do you see yourselves running again in the next elections?

— I don't know. I had already left politics years ago and returned because they asked me to lead a joint candidacy; I couldn't say no, because unity is what I've always defended. Right now, I want them to remain independent, and I'm at the parties' disposal. If they think I can help them, I'd be delighted. I don't want to betray my principles, because the easiest thing would be to go back to my office and be done with it. But I think we're at a point where we all have to pull together. We're in a very dangerous moment; I don't think anyone is expendable.