Rosario Sánchez: "The privatized model of Aena is not mine"

PalmaThe Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez (Palma, 1976), will replace Francina Armengol as the PSIB's lead candidate in the 2027 regional elections. She doesn't look at polls: "The only one that counts is the one on election day." She speaks to ARABalears at the party headquarters in Palma.

When you were proposed to be number one, what was your first response?

— I thought she could be a good candidate. I have been involved in the PSIB for over 20 years. This has allowed me to accumulate political management knowledge that gives me the capacity to be a good president. We have lost three years with Marga Prohens' Government: it is time to take a step forward.

So, did you propose yourself?

— It is a decision that we have discussed among many people. The socialist project is collective. It is not a matter of personal aspirations.

Take the lead at a difficult time for the party.

— From many sectors, especially from right-wing parties, attempts are made to disempower and discourage citizens. One of my main motivations is to inspire people and demonstrate that politics and institutions can improve their quality of life.

What is the main mistake from the Armengol stage that you do not want to repeat?

— The electoral and government program of the Pact's eight years was well oriented. It aimed to transform an unbalanced economic model, to strengthen fundamental public services, and to act on the main vector of inequality we have today, the difficulty of access to housing. What needs to be done now is to multiply this effort.

However, during these governments, overcrowding and the housing emergency worsened. Has there been a lack of self-criticism within the left?

— The left is specialized in self-criticism. We always want to go further. However, the data from the last three years is very clear. The price of housing and rent has skyrocketed during this legislature. We passed a state law to limit the price of rents. Due to an ideological decision by the Government, it has not been applied.

Prohens says it wouldn't work.

— Where it is applied, such as in Catalonia and the Basque Country, it is yielding results: the price increase that has occurred in the Islands has not occurred with the same intensity in these territories. Otherwise, the Government has barely exercised the right of pre-emption and withdrawal that we promoted, and the construction of public housing has also been halted. Regarding tourist rentals, the Pact regulated it and limited this activity. These are measures that must be deepened, because speculation must continue to be combated, both with housing and land. We defend a much more decided intervention in the market.

The PP attributes the creation of 115,000 tourist places to itself.

— They use this figure as a mantra, because they are not doing anything. There were nearly 90,000 tourist rental places that had to be eliminated and this Government has ended up consolidating them. Furthermore, they now present as a great novelty a system of exchanging one place for another, when we had already established a more restrictive model: for each new place, two had to be deregistered. We promoted the moratorium on tourist places, the regulation of tourist rentals, the tourist tax and tools to calculate the territory's carrying capacity. We also limited cruise ships and restricted vehicle entry to Formentera.

The records for arrivals did not stop nor did it decrease.

— We advocated for a freeze on places, a moratorium, and a system that involved progressively reducing supply. If, despite this, the number of visitors continues to increase, it is clear that measures must be taken. There is a very broad consensus that action is needed. What I don't understand is why it is not being used to adopt concrete measures.

Will you go to the demonstration against mass tourism on July 26th?

— If I go, the news will end up being that I went to the demonstration. The protagonists must be the citizens. This mobilization reflects a very broad social discontent due to the lack of concrete measures.

Do you understand that it may be considered contradictory for former officials of the Pact government, such as the former Minister of Tourism, to go to protests?

— The aspiration of the Socialist Party is to excite citizens with concrete, credible, and viable measures. We defend the work that was done, because pioneering policies were promoted.

As Secretary of State for Tourism, you defined a record number of tourists as a "collective success".

— I wasn't referring to the Balearic Islands. There are those who feel that the Secretariat of State wants more tourists to come. That's not true. What it wants is for each territory to have the model it needs. There are places where it is advisable to increase tourist activity, because it is an opportunity for development. Others, like the Islands, where it should be reduced.

Is this compatible with the expansion of Palma and Ibiza airports?

— The PSIB has always asked that there be no airport expansions. Aena has a privatized model that is not my model and that comes from the era of José María Aznar. But flights are not decided by Aena, but by the airlines, based on profitability.

If you come to the presidency, will you reverse Prohens's tax cuts?

— The tax cuts that have been approved are regressive. They mainly benefit people with more wealth, especially with the practical elimination of the inheritance and gift tax. I defend a progressive system: those who have more should pay more, and the resources should be used to guarantee public services.

But would you reverse them? Would you reinstate the inheritance tax?

— Each government reviews the tax system according to circumstances. Successions had to be reviewed, but not practically eliminated for the wealthy.

Do you defend a singular financing for the Islands like that of Catalonia?

— The model being considered is not exclusive to Catalonia. It is part of the reform of the common regime financing system. There are positive aspects for the Islands; others need to be improved. But, if you don't sit down to negotiate or study the proposal, it's impossible. It is a historic mistake to let Feijóo decide the financing of the Islands from Genoa.

What language do you use first when you enter a shop or a restaurant?

— I try to speak in Catalan. It is true that, depending on how they speak to me, sometimes I have the tendency, which we all have, to switch languages. I should probably always keep Catalan.

When was the last time you used public transport?

— I use it frequently. My teenage daughters too, especially thanks to it being free.

Have you gone to check the public transport collapse situations in places like Sóller in the summer?

— I will have to do it. Mobility is one of the great challenges. I regret that projects such as the Palma tram and the Levante train, which had state funding, have been stopped this legislature.

Would you be in favor of prioritizing residents on some bus lines?

— It is reasonable to study formulas that prioritize people living in the territory. But the big bet must be to expand and strengthen the transport network.

What is the relationship with MÉS?

— I have governed several times with MÉS per Mallorca. When you make pacts, there is a fundamental issue: trust. Knowing that everyone will act with institutional loyalty and thinking about the general interest. This is the basis for a coalition to function.

Would you make a pact with Coalició per Mallorca?

— I have participated in the governments of Francesc Antich and Francina Armengol and have always governed in coalition. I have spent many years negotiating agreements and I believe that pacts can yield very good results. Agreements depend on approaches, and I still don't know what this party's would be. Be that as it may, there are always red lines: racism is one, as is not defending the environment and workers' rights.

Are you afraid that the PSOE corruption cases will affect the Balearic Islands?

— I am a civil servant of the Court of Auditors. Corruption outrages me. The PSIB has no officials under investigation.

Your headquarters has a portrait of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero at the entrance. What did you think when the corruption case against him broke out?

— The party's stance has always been to support José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. I also believe I am part of a party that has shown zero tolerance for corruption cases.