The PP exhibits itself with Bestard the day after the judge has opened an investigation

PalmaPedro Bestard does not plan to resign, and the PP, his government partner at the Council of Mallorca, does not plan to dismiss him either. The start of the election campaign has not been enough of a spur to take measures against a public official under investigation by the Justice system, and this Friday morning, the top leader of Vox at the island institution appeared in a press conference accompanying the Popular Party member Rafel Bosch, the island's Minister of Treasury. They were presenting the Council's budget for 2027, but the press conference turned into a staging of the far-right's support for their leader and a confirmation that the PP shows a double standard depending on who the judicial investigations are initiated against. Less than 24 hours after the admission for processing by a Palma court of the Prosecutor's Office complaint to investigate the use of official vehicles for personal purposes was made public, Bestard has asserted that he continues to work and has not committed any irregularity.

Bestard appeared surrounded by Vox representatives at the Council, a fact that staged support for the leader of the far-right formation at the Council. They were not the only ones: the PP, which at the state level has requested resignations on several occasions for investigations opened against high-ranking PSOE officials, in this case has decided to support the investigated government partner.

“I will not resign for something I have not done wrong. I am not guilty of having done anything wrong,” affirmed Bestard, who said he trusts in the Justice system. He also asserted that he does not have “any document” that has notified him of the start of the investigation by the court, although he assured that “today they have called us so that we call them, but I do not have any document that says anything against me. Later we will call them,” he said.

The PP says it is not considering anything until the oral trial is reached

The island's Minister of Finance, the popular Rafel Bosch, stated in response to questions from journalists that “the party complies with the code of ethics for our party and for the parties with whom we govern in coalition.” Bosch pointed out that the code provides for officials to continue working and that measures could be adopted if an oral trial is opened. Likewise, he also assured that, for the moment, he has no record of any judicial notification and that all the information he has is what has been published by the media.

Regarding the possible appearance of the Council of Mallorca in the case, Bosch said that the PP will not make further comments until it receives a communication that allows it to intervene in the proceedings and that, at that time, the legal services will analyze its content and decide accordingly. “The Government is working in a cohesive manner,” he assured, referring to the uncomfortable situation of governing with the second vice president under investigation by the Justice system.

He also defended that the technical reports of the procedures are “very correct” and that there is “no dissonance” between the conclusions of the general intervention report of the Council and the complaint of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, which sees indications of a crime and has motivated the opening of judicial inquiries. In this sense, and regarding the indications seen by the Public Prosecutor's Office, Bosch limited himself to saying that the court will have to clarify the facts and that the PP maintains “the utmost respect for the Justice system.”

The news of the admission for processing by a court in Palma became known this Thursday at noon during the plenary session of the Council, presided over at that time by Bestard himself, who was substituting for the president, Llorenç Galmés, absent due to the death of a family member. The judicial decision was made public a few hours before the start of the November 29th electoral campaign and Bestard, upon learning of it, also left the plenary session. One day later, with the electoral race for November 29th already underway, Bestard continues in his position and the PP rules out, for the moment, removing him from the Council government.