The PP postpones limiting vehicle entry into Mallorca despite the PSIB's offer of cooperation

PalmTime is running out for Llorenç Galmés, the president of the Council of Mallorca. Only a year and a half remains in his term, and just one peak tourist season before the 2026 elections. It is at this point that his flagship proposal, limiting vehicle access to Mallorca, could gain greater visibility if implemented. However, this possibility is being complicated by the veto of Vox, with whom, despite the split in the Balearic Parliament, he continues to govern the island institution. Sources within the institution insist that they are still negotiating with the other groups to bring their proposal to the Parliament, but this process seems to be slowing down. Even so, the People's Party (PP) is not yet open to accepting the Socialist Party's (PSIB) offer to jointly approve the bill with the same objective that the Socialists have registered in the Parliament.

The PP's intention was to replicate in Mallorca the same strategy that succeeded in Ibiza, where the law is already in effect. "As we did in Ibiza, we will wait for a law to be passed by the Consell de Mallorca before processing it in the Balearic Parliament," argued Sebastià Sagreras, spokesperson for the Popular Party's parliamentary group, on Wednesday. The Balearic Parliament unanimously approved the proposal of the president of the Consell de Eivissa, Vicent Marí, with the exception of Vox, which voted against it. And it is precisely the far right that is now a thorn in Galmés' side. Despite the rift between the two parties at the parliamentary level, the leader of the Consell de Mallorca continues to govern hand in hand with the far right, which has already warned that it opposes this proposal. With the approval of the island institution's budget pending (it is expected to be passed on December 30) and the fear that Vox might choose to leave the government if it feels dissatisfied, sources within the Popular Party admit that they do not want to make any missteps.

"The PP in the Balearic Parliament will do whatever the Consell de Mallorca decides," party sources maintain. These same sources insist that the PSIB's move is a tactic to claim credit for the measure if it is approved. "In the case of Ibiza, the PSIB also presented its bill, and Marí agreed with them that we would accept it for processing if they withdrew it when the Consell's bill was submitted," they recall. "That's what happened, and ultimately, the Consell's bill was approved." But now the situation is different: in the Consell de Mallorca, the bill is stalled because the PP doesn't have a sufficient majority to approve it, and the timeline is tighter. "We are surprised that the PSIB has registered a bill without it originating from the consensus of the Consell, which is the main self-governing institution of Mallorca," criticize sources from Galmés's government team. "We are continuing the negotiation process to approve a bill through dialogue and consensus as soon as possible," these voices insist. "We consider it unacceptable that the PSIB is now rushing us, when they did nothing in eight years." In this regard, they emphasize that they have already completed the relevant mobility study and are seeking allies to process the proposal, a draft of which Galmés presented in June.

Thus, the PP is currently waiting in the wings at the Consell, distancing itself from the PSIB's proposal. "They say it's identical to Galmés's, but you only have to read it to see that's not the case," said Sagreras. According to Socialist deputy Ares Fernández, who defended the initiative, his proposed law is based on the PP's, but adds some measures for sustainable mobility and the promotion of public transport, subsidies for municipalities to carry out urban mobility plans and commuting plans, as well as the formal transfer of powers regarding land transport to the Consell de Mallorca. "It's more than necessary," they argue in the text. Furthermore, it proposes modifying the law that regulates the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) so that sustainable mobility projects and the promotion of electric mobility can be included.

"They committed to pushing through the vehicle restriction in Mallorca," the deputy asserted, referring to the PP. Regarding the negotiations at the Island Council, the PP maintains that they are ongoing, and sources from MÉS per Mallorca explain that they have maintained contact. However, Fernández says that the contacts have been "only technical, not political, because Vox in the Council does not agree." Given the far-right's obstruction and the distancing from the PSIB, is the PP considering presenting the proposed law unilaterally, without Vox, through Parliament? For now, sources within the party are keeping their distance. "If the Council asked us to, we would consider it," they indicate.