Where are the voters of political Mallorcanism?

PalmVarious actors have championed Mallorcan political identity in recent months. While sources within the People's Party (PP) confirm President Marga Prohens's intention to win over El Pi voters, movements are emerging to promote center-right Mallorcan nationalism in the lead-up to the next elections. This coincides with the presentation ofPolitical Mallorcanism (1936-2024) [Leonardo Muntaner Editor], Several historians have focused on this ideology, which persists despite demographic changes. What defines it, and where is it represented?

"Mallorcanism has been understood from the perspective of left-wing, centrist, and regionalist nationalism," notes historian Miquel Vidal, who coordinates the publication along with Antoni Marimon, Joan Pau Jordà, and Miquel Amengual. The common element is "the defense of Mallorca's identity," he explains: "Not only in cultural and folkloric terms, but also politically, because it's about defending the island's political characteristics in relation to its identity, linked to the language." In this sense, he believes that the movement "can encompass the left, the right, and centrist parties." He distinguishes between two aspects of the concept. "There is a Catalanist, nationalist Mallorcanism that champions the Catalan Countries, and even independence, and actively speaks about the Catalan language and historical ties with Catalonia," he explains. The pro-independence left falls within this spectrum. "Then there is a non-Catalanist movement that accepts the language is the same, but doesn't openly advocate for Catalan identity; instead, it seeks to further differentiate Mallorca as a distinct political entity from Catalonia." This definition is closer to the center-right space formerly occupied by Unió Mallorquina (UM).

The center-right space

Jeroni Albertí, founder of UM and former president of the Parliament, is considered a father of center-right Mallorcan nationalism. This led to tensions with Gabriel Cañellas's PP, which emphasized regionalism and competed for electoral ground. During Cañellas's investiture debate in the first legislature of the Parliament, Albertí lamented that the development of autonomy had fallen to this party: "Those who fought against it..." until "The end" [sic]. It is one of the texts published in the book.

"Cañellas raised the electoral threshold from 3% to 5% in 1995, hoping that UM would not exceed it," recalls historian and journalist Miquel Payeras. His hope did not materialize, and the party achieved a [missing word - possibly "always" or "always," but the Balearic PP has historically aspired to transversality and to include a portion of the Mallorcan nationalist voters. This is evident in the anti-immigration discourse, on language, and in the modification of the date of the Diada (which the PP has moved to celebrate on September 12, just as the leader of UM, Maria Antònia Munar, did in 1997, instead of the traditional date of December 31)," Payeras opines. However, he's a regionalist to blame. "While Cañellas needed UM to govern, Prohens needs Vox," he explains: "Cañellas governed a society with a stronger sense of identity due to demographics; he was more regionalist than any other PP leader, while Prohens isn't considered one."

And can the space occupied by El Pi, which still has representation on the Consell and in some town councils, be recovered? There have been developments this year. Among the heirs of UM are this party, currently led by Antoni Salas on the Consell, right-wing municipal groups, and the new UM, currently led by the mayor of Binissalem, Víctor Marí, although it has no representation. Added to this is SOMMallorca, a party headed by the former president of the Regional Left Federation in the Balearic Islands, Joan Lladó. The party aspires to form a coalition with El Pi, whose name will be announced in November. One of its promoters, businessman Joan Serra, insists, however, that the resulting party does not intend to occupy a center-right space but rather a more transversal one. "People from the center-right are approaching us, but also many who come from the left, from the PSM," he says. "The left hasn't been able to offer a discursive solution to the issue of overpopulation because it has many hang-ups," he continues. "We are very far removed from Aliança Catalana, but we offer a discourse that prioritizes the people here." Among their proposals is giving priority access to housing and social assistance to residents who have lived in Mallorca for at least 15 years. They are also willing to form coalitions with both the right and the left. "We must be the party of residents first, but we won't deliver an ethnophobic speech," Lladó explains.

The sovereignist left

Historian, journalist, and MÉS advisor in Congress, Antoni Lluís Trobat, understands Mallorcanism as "the political and cultural movement that defends Mallorca as a country with its own identity, whose collective rights must be made effective." This encompasses different approaches, but the left has tended towards sovereignty and the right towards regionalism. "Left-wing Mallorcanism was more akin to nationalism," he explains. In the current party landscape, he believes this is only found in MÉS, which includes the Socialist Party of Mallorca (PSM) in its core, along with Iniciativa Verds and independents. However much the leader of the PSIB, Francina Armengol, may have a Mallorcanist profile, in his view, "her party, like the PP, cannot claim to look exclusively after the interests of the island": "State parties cannot be Mallorcanist."

In this sense, Trobat emphasizes that left-wing "Mallorcanism" can only be understood "with a confederal relationship with the sister movements in Menorca and Ibiza." "We should pursue a more confederal model, with greater power for the councils, but without ever turning our backs on each other," he argues. Veteran activist and former Més per Menorca deputy Ramon Orfila agrees, speaking about Menorcanism. "The PSM has embodied it in Menorca, and later, Més per Menorca," he explains. "Right-wing Menorcanism has not existed, or at most it has been a minority movement and has remained close to the PSM," he says, as a distinguishing feature of this territory. "We agree that economic degrowth and the defense of the territory are vital to maintaining our identity," he emphasizes.