"A method to reconcile the city with tourism through culture." This is the summary of the project with which Palma was vying for the title of European Capital of Culture 2031 until last Friday, when the Ministry of Culture announced the four cities that would advance to the next phase, among which Palma was not included. Among the arguments that, according to Bonet, may have influenced the jury's decision are Palma's "restrained investment" compared to the finalists—82,800 euros between 2025 and 2026, unlike Cáceres' 750,000 or Las Palmas' nearly two million—and the fact that it was the first time Palma had seen itself in Palma.

More than a year and a half after the mayor of Palma announced his intention to opt for the title of European Capital of Culture – which he had already announced during the election campaign – and when it has passed one month from the official presentation of the candidacy, this Tuesday, July 8th, a first meeting was held with the cultural sector. Held at the Mar i Terra Theater, this meeting served to highlight the lack of communication that exists between the different cultural stakeholders of Ciutat, as one of the attendees pointed out. "We are all fragmented and there is no communication between the public and private sectors, nor between ourselves," stated Javier Pachón, director of CineCiutat, in his speech. A particularly worrying diagnosis in this context, given that there are just over three months left to shape the first version of a candidacy project that those responsible have described on more than one occasion as "embryonic."