Celestí Alomar has died at 76 years old and leaves a very large void as an era. He did and was many other things, but he will be remembered as the counselor who implemented the ecotax in the Balearic Islands. He did this during his time as Minister of Tourism of the first government of the Pacte de Progrés, a government that had to withstand the fiercest criticism during its existence –from adversaries, but also from those closest to them– and which now, 25 years later, many value and miss, and with good reason. The first Pacte de Progrés of the Balearic Islands governed from 1999 to 2003. In a short time, the deaths of President Francesc Antich and Vice-President Pere Sampol, and now Minister Celestí Alomar, represent the premature disappearance of three key figures in the recent political history of the country. I write 'premature' because, although all three were around or past seventy years old, the death of those who truly work for the common good is always premature.The Pacte de Progrés was the first progressive government that the Balearic Islands had and it was a pioneer in many things, here and in the Spanish state. The ecotax that Celestí Alomar promoted was ahead of its time in uniting tourism policies with serious environmental policies. Alomar understood this tax as a tool for self-government and social cohesion. It earned him a fatwa, a war from hoteliers, an economic sector with pretensions more of a caste than a lobby. 

There are people to whom a newspaper owes much more than the articles they have written, the advice they have given, and the contributions they have made. Celestí Alomar is, without a doubt, one of those people. We owe ARA Balears, above all, extraordinary generosity. As a member of the editorial board from the beginning, we always found in him an attentive gaze, sharp intelligence, and a willingness to help that was never forced or self-interested. His advice was good because it stemmed from a deep and sensible observation of reality. He also gifted us ideas, topics, questions, and analyses as lucid as they were accurate. And he did so with a naturalness that made his contribution even more valuable.

One evening, while dining together in Madrid, we looked at each other with a certain perplexity. Celestí Alomar was Director General of Tourism and I was Vice-Rector of the University. I don't know if we said it exactly like that, but we both must have thought more or less the same thing: what are we doing here? We had met many years before, when we were two lads from the Pla de Mallorca, he from Llubí and I from Sant Joan. And another scene came to our minds, also distant: Franco's bust emerging from the balcony of the Rectorate of the University of Barcelona towards the street. We had gone from all that to Madrid, with ties, positions, and responsibilities. "Two suited up youngsters," he said.

Celestí Alomar, former Minister of Tourism of the Balearic Government and one of the key figures of the first Pacte de Progrés, died this Monday at the age of 76. Alomar, born in Llubí in 1949, held the Ministry of Tourism between 1999 and 2003, during the first Government of Francesc Antich, and was one of the main promoters of the ecotax, after a strong confrontation with the hotel employers' association. Alomar, also a geographer, maintained an active presence in public debate on tourism, territory, and the economic future of the Islands until his final years, also as a columnist for ARA Balears as a columnist for ARA Balears.

Miquel Duran i Ordinyana died this Wednesday at the age of 96. Born in Sencelles in 1930, he was an oceanographer specializing in ichthyology, director of the Oceanographic Center of the Balearic Islands, and, over the years, one of the foremost scholars of fish names and marine lexicography. His scientific career was accompanied by a commitment to language, culture, and Mallorcan identity, which also led him to participate in politics during the early years of the Transition.

Lourdes Sampol Noguera, a painter and cultural activist strongly linked to Valldemossa, has died, as communicated by the Festival Chopin de Valldemossa Association. Sampol was part of the founding group of the Chopin Festival since 1981 and for decades was in charge of the annual exhibitions of contemporary artists linked to the event.

The doctor specializing in gynecology and obstetrics and researcher Javier Cortés Bordoy, considered a "reference figure in Balearic medicine", has died. The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, announced his death and conveyed her condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in a message published this Saturday on X.

Talking about Rafel Muntaner Morey, Coca, is to talk about almost a century through Manacor life. Mayor, printer, cinephile, president of TV Manacor, a man linked to Perles Manacor — both in the basketball section and in underwater fishing — promoter of the skyscraper in Plaça de la Bassa and manager of Cine Goya for a decade. The politician of "put a furrow between the eyebrows" was a polyhedral, impulsive and active man until his last years.

The former mayor of Manacor, Rafel Muntaner, died this Friday. The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, has conveyed her condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in a message published on social media. “He was a benchmark for the sporting, social, and cultural life of Mallorca,” she wrote.

The premature death of Joan Roca, bassist and founding member of Antònia Font, has caused a tsunami of expressions of affection and love among lovers of Catalan music. His bandmates, institutional representatives, and numerous people linked to the world of culture and music have wanted to pay tribute to the musician from Son Sardina.

The historic bassist of Antònia Font, Joan Roca, died early this Wednesday at 53 years of age, after a long illness. His passing represents a great loss for Catalan music, after a career closely linked to one of the most influential and beloved bands of recent decades. Roca began to be part of the group practically from its beginnings and participated in the evolution of the formation until it became a musical phenomenon, with albums and songs that have marked several generations, including Joy and Taxi.

Pep Coll, one of the best-known and most influential marine biologists in the Balearic Islands, has died in Palma after an illness, and his passing has left a strong impact on the conservation and marine sector. The death of Pep Coll leaves behind a career dedicated to the knowledge of the marine ecosystems of the Balearic Islands and, especially, to the study of marine reserves, the management of fishing resources, and the mechanisms that allow biodiversity to recover when a marine area is correctly protected.

The teacher and speech therapist Pilar Castelló, Ramon Llull award 2020, has died at 73 years of age. The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, and the rest of the Government expressed their condolences this Tuesday and highlighted Castelló's dedication to public service, which began in 1977, when she became the first woman to hold a permanent civil servant position at the Formentera City Council.

The well-known Lloseta businesswoman Joana Fornés Salamanca, widow of Biel Pou Maírat and manager of the popular Forn de Baix in Lloseta, died this Tuesday, June 2, at the age of 94.

Costitx has lost more than just a neighbor. It has lost one of its most authentic intellectual and spiritual references. Rafel Horrach i Llabrés of Can Mal (Costitx, 1955) has died at the age of 70, leaving a legacy that goes beyond the cassock or history books: the man who knew how to explain who we are so that we know where we should go is gone.

Toni Aragón, director of the Professional Conservatory of Music and Dance of Mallorca, a key figure in the musical training of the Balearic Islands, has died.

Xisco Quesada, a 28-year-old from Mallorca and father of two, has died after suffering from pancreatic cancer with metastasis. His family announced his death on Wednesday in a post on his Instagram account, @xiscoquesada9, the profile from which he had shared information about his medical condition in recent months. In the statement, the family explained: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Xisco," and recalled that "his life changed completely when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with metastasis." They also noted that, from that moment on, he decided "to share his daily life unfiltered, showing the process, his fears, and also a strength that left us speechless."

I still don't know what the future holds after the death of Margalida Capellà Soler. An entire generation of Latin and Greek teachers owes her a great debt for her work in popularizing these subjects. Born in Campanet in 1965, as a teenager Margalida was fascinated by what her Greek teacher, Coloma Blanes y Blanes, taught her at the Berenguer de Anoia high school in Inca. Even then, she knew that after finishing her pre-university studies, she would go to Barcelona to study Classical Philology. She didn't succumb to the siren call of her science teachers who, upon recognizing her intellectual versatility, insisted she pursue a degree "with better job prospects."