<![CDATA[Ara Balears in English - Government of the Balearic Islands]]> 10 <![CDATA[Amado Carbonell: "Any observation point in Mallorca will collapse"]]>

Amado Carbonell has traveled Mallorca by car to mark the official eclipse observation points in collaboration with the Government of the Balearic Islands. Furthermore, he is the president of the Mallorca Institute of Astronomy and Astronautics Foundation (FIAAM) and the Andratx Astronomical Association.

]]> <![CDATA["A new attack, no longer so veiled, on public and quality education"]]> Public healthcare and education are the backbone of a democratic and advanced society; without them, the social organism collapses into inequality and privilege. Everyone understands that public healthcare guarantees the right to life and health for all citizens, regardless of their origin or bank account. No one would accept that, while public hospitals suffer from waiting lists or staff shortages, the Government would use everyone's taxes to pay severance packages for doctors from private clinics or to finance the expansion of their real estate assets. What would seem like a scandal in the healthcare sector is exactly what the draft of the new decree on educational contracts from the Government of the Balearic Islands proposes.

]]> <![CDATA[How to request the 10,000 euros from the Government to buy your first home in the Balearic Islands]]>

The Government will open this Friday, July 17, the period for young residents of the Balearic Islands to apply for aid of 10,000 euros to buy their first home. The call is aimed at people up to 40 years old with a minimum of five years of residence in the Balearic Islands and for homes with a maximum price of 382,000 euros. The aid will also cover purchases formalized from January 1, 2026.

]]> <![CDATA[Three years governing for the people from here]]> Citizens and citizens of the Balearic Islands, this week marks three years since my investiture and taking of office as president of this Autonomous Community, of this immense honor that I have thanks to the trust of a broad majority of citizens, who three years ago called for a change in policies and in the way of doing politics in these Islands. A change from centrality, from moderation, from good sense and for the people from here.After three intense years and a lot – a lot – of work, I am aware that there is still a lot to do, I am aware of the challenges ahead of us, and I am aware of the concerns of the families of these Islands, and I will not fall into conformity, self-satisfaction, or indifference. Because we cannot afford it, and, therefore, my commitment is to give it my all.With these lines I want to share with all of you my balance of these three years of work, of these three years of legislature, which I believe can be summarized mainly in three evidences.The first, what has been my obsession since day one: the fulfillment of the given word. Because that's how they taught me at home, the value of the given word, to fulfill what is promised. The first commitment fulfilled was to form a government on my own. A promise that no one believed in, that some saw as impossible and even mocked. But I said that if I had a sufficient majority of citizens, I would do so. The citizens responded, and I delivered. And, obviously, governing in a minority has not been easy, but this has allowed us to set the tone and pace, and to prevent the instability that has been experienced in Parliament from ever being transferred to the Government.From that moment on, we have not only not crossed any of our red lines, but we have fulfilled and launched 95% of our government program. 10 days later we began to lower taxes with the elimination of the inheritance tax —which has already benefited more than 35,000 families— and with the elimination or bonus of the tax for the purchase of the first home, which has benefited more than 5,000 young people. 50 days later we fulfilled by making the free education for the entire stage from 0 to 3 years a reality, which today benefits more than 15,000 families. 100 days later we approved the Royal Decree-Law on residential emergency, as a first package of measures to address the housing challenge. And so we have been fulfilling our program for three years, with the zero quota for the self-employed, the recovery of numerical grades, more hours of mathematics and languages, the plan to attract health professionals, the Work-Life Balance Law, the Simplification Law, the Coastal Law, as well as so many and so many measures that we included in our program and that today are a reality.Secondly, the fact that the script predicted by the left-wing parties has not been fulfilled, that the discourse of fear of cuts in public services, cuts in rights, and social tension has not been fulfilled. On the contrary, for three years we have allocated more resources than ever to our public services; we have improved the conditions of our healthcare professionals, our teachers, and all our public employees; we have advanced in new rights, such as aid for ALS patients, 24-hour care for pediatric palliative care, free adapted leisure for children with disabilities, the price limit for school canteens and psychologists in classrooms and health centers, among other advances.Everyone, through dialogue and agreement. Because we are a government of pacts and understanding, as demonstrated by the achievement of such important agreements as the Pact for Sustainability, the Pact for Health, as well as the Pact for the Legislature with the public service board, the agreement for the recovery of the healthcare professional career, and the Pact for Marine Conservation.And, finally, an evidence of which, as I began by saying, I am fully aware: that there is a lot of work to be done. We were faced with a poisoned inheritance, with soaring housing prices, with the Islands at their limit, the result of 115,000 tourist places authorized in eight years, and with public services strained by a population growth pattern that is today absolutely unsustainable. During these three years we have laid the foundations to change course, changing laws, planning and allocating resources, because there are no magic solutions and the situation does not change in a day, but thanks to our different laws we have more than 10,000 affordable homes in process; affordable homes and for the local people, among which there are more than 1,000 of public promotion, the works of which will begin this legislature. And, of course, we are talking about housing at affordable prices, with prices between 30% and 50% below market price and for the local people, with at least 5 years of residence. Because it is about housing for those who already live in the Balearic Islands.Although there is still a long way to go for it to reach citizens, we are beginning to see signs of a change in trend with the reactivation of multi-family housing development, with a 60% increase in one year, and which for two years now has again surpassed single-family homes, that is, more apartments than houses, according to the latest data from the College of Technical Architects and Surveyors. Also with a 33% decrease in housing purchases by foreign citizens, according to data from the College of Notaries. Because now, housing development is once again oriented towards affordable housing and for local people.And we are working to transform our economy and move from growth in volume to growth in value, a model that bets on the diversification of our economy towards innovation and knowledge, as we have done with the ParcBit boost plan and the Law for the acceleration of strategic projects, and with a clear strategy of tourism containment, which sets zero growth for new tourist places, prohibits new tourist apartments, and agrees to reduce the number of cruise passengers, the purchase of public land to protect our natural spaces. And we will end the legislature with the entry of rental tourist vehicles and cars limited to the four islands. Because yes, we have reached the limit.We must move towards a model that does not require the continuous recruitment of workers from outside, because we have to change the pattern of population growth. As we also need to put a stop to the continuous arrival of irregular immigration to our Islands. Because we have always been a land of welcome, but we need immigration not only linked to a work contract, but one that also takes into account the integration capacity of our land, always demanding respect for our laws and values. Otherwise, the result is that we see how the physiognomy of our towns and neighborhoods is becoming blurred. No, not everyone fits here.We are the Government that most resembles the people of this land, a Government that makes decisions with common sense and tranquility, that does not hide problems in drawers. We have come to roll up our sleeves to solve the structural problems of these Islands.From here on, some policies need a final push and others need to consolidate over time to bear fruit. And with this objective we will work this coming year, working hard to respond to the main concerns of citizens, to broaden their trust and to achieve a majority of stability that allows us to continue with the change from centrality, from moderation, from common sense and governing thinking only of the people here.

]]> <![CDATA[The Government extends the deadline to find a solution and save Agama]]>

The Government set December 31 as the deadline to find a solution for the General Agrarian Association of Mallorca (Agama), that will stop buying milk from producers in Mallorca in 2026However, sources within the Balearic Islands government have explained to ARA Baleares that they have extended the deadline for finding a solution for the dairy plant because "it cannot be done by the end of the year." Even so, they regretted that the original deadline had not been met and justified the delay by saying that the procedures "are slow." The government has not yet decided on a new deadline to definitively clarify Agama's future, although it is expected to be at the beginning of next year. Otherwise, "there will be no room to maneuver or reverse the situation," government sources acknowledged.

]]> <![CDATA[ParcBit, the innovative vanguard of the Balearic Islands]]>

The arrival of the metro, the reclamation of land for offices, the possibility of building rental housing for researchers, and the expansion of FabLabs are pillars of the new strategy to boost Palma's facilities. The Government is also developing the innovation ecosystem throughout the Canary Islands with the plan to promote... CentreBit Menorca and the opening of CentreBit Ibiza.

]]> <![CDATA[Unió de Pagesos demands the Government implement a "shield plan" for animal health against swine fever]]>

Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca demands that the Government make a "shield plan" for animal health against Pthis African Swine (African Swine Fever) and other threats such as avian flu, with the aim of "protecting native breeds," as explained by the farmers' union in a statement. Thus, the agricultural organization is making an "urgent" appeal to the Government to "immediately enact and implement" preventive and reinforced animal health and protection measures, based on the experience of other crises. "We cannot allow the Administration to stand idly by. The protection of our native breeds, which are part of our history and our rural identity, must be an absolute priority. We are suffering from bluetongue and we see how nodular dermatosis threatens cattle. Now, ASF and avian flu are a serious threat," stated the Secretary General of Unió de Pagesos, Sebastià Ordines.

]]> <![CDATA[Palma's aquifers are at their limit: the mayor is forced to buy more desalinated water from the government.]]>

The Palma Regional Government and City Council presented an agreement this Monday that some experts consider historic: Cort will purchase up to 12.9 cubic hectometers from the desalination plant. This agreement ends a tense relationship between Palma City Council and the Regional Government regarding water, as Jaime Martínez, who made no statement at the end of the event and left the spotlight to the President of the Regional Government, Marga Prohens, did not want to purchase desalinated water. The reason for this reluctance is that the Government produces desalinated water through Abaqua, and therefore, purchasing it means paying for it and consequently having to foot the bill. Prohens has managed to end Palma's water war, and Emaya will purchase more of the desalination plant's production.

]]> <![CDATA[The Government is preparing to revoke the strategic project declaration in Agama.]]>

He Government The Ministry of Agriculture is already preparing the report to withdraw the strategic industrial project designation it granted to Agama twenty months before the dairy announced that it would stop purchasing milk from producers in Mallorca in 2026, according to government sources confirmed to ARA Baleares. "Some meetings are still needed," they added. On December 1, 2023, the Governing Council declared the importance of the project proposed at the time by Damm, the company that owns Agama.

]]> <![CDATA[The Formentor peak]]> In politics, it happens that sometimes even the worst elements say something true, without doing the math. This is what happened with the Vox spokesperson in the Balearic Islands, whose name we will omit because Vox politicians themselves renounce any of their own ideas and always defer to their supreme leader, Santiago Abascal. However, during the general policy debate, this spokesperson managed to tell a truth: "Prohens is Prime Minister thanks to Vox's votes." Sadly, this is the case. This is the first time (and should be the last) that the Balearic Islands have a president conditioned by the demands of a fascist party, who can boast that, if she's in office, it's because they allow her to be. There will be those who suddenly say that Armengol was conditioned by the far left, but this is a fallacy that we must get used to dismantling: there is no political actor in Balearic politics who comes close to anything resembling the far left. Fortunately, it must be added. Therefore, the equivalences between the far right of Vox and a supposed far left represented by MÉS, Podemos, or Sumar are false and would be laughable if they did not contribute to the confusion that, precisely, favors the far right.

]]> <![CDATA[Vidal accuses Prohens of "inconsistent and inhumane" attitudes regarding the arrival of boats and the reception of minors.]]>

Vicenç Vidal, a member of Congress for Sumar MÁS, said this Monday that he feels "deeply aggravated by the inconsistent and inhuman attitude of Marga Prohens's government" in relation to the Prime Minister's recent attitude toward the arrival of migrants. For the lower house member, "the priority in a situation like the one we are experiencing is the defense of human rights and common sense."

]]> <![CDATA[Balearic farmers concerned about cuts in agricultural aid]]>

The European Commission has proposed reducing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by €86 billion for the period between 2028 and 2034, which in the Balearic Islands could translate into a "loss of close to €15 million per year," according to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, Joan Simonet. Farmers in the Balearic Islands are concerned about the proposed "fairly serious" cut in European aid, according to the president of the Association of Organic Agricultural Production of Mallorca (Apaema), Miquel Coll.

]]> <![CDATA[The negative separatist quota for the Balearic Islands]]>

It's not supportive. It's not fair. It's not generalizable. And, above all, it doesn't take into account the needs of the citizens of the Balearic Islands. The Spanish government and the Generalitat of Catalonia have signed an agreement that amounts to nothing more than the separatist quota, the transfer of management of all taxes. They have done so bilaterally, excluding and disregarding the rest of the autonomous communities. It's an agreement we view with extreme concern, and one we strongly oppose for several reasons.

]]> <![CDATA[Aena handling workers in Palma work among fleas and cockroaches: "It's a disgrace."]]>

Workers of companies subcontracted by Aena to provide logistics and ground operations services to aircraft, airlines and passengers (handling) at Son Sant Joan Airport complain of working "among fleas and cockroaches." A worker on the ARA Baleares plane shows off her body "covered in flea bites." In fact, at the workers' demonstration this Friday protesting working conditions, the secretary of the UGT (Union of Workers' Union) for the air sector in the Balearic Islands, José Negreira, denounced that "there's everything in the baggage claim area." "We have workers with many bites all over the place. It's shameful," he reiterated. Along the same lines, he added that passengers, "when they board, they see fireflies running around." "The airport is the gateway for tourism to the Islands. We're the first face they see, and the service isn't very good," he insisted.

]]> <![CDATA[Great revolutions backwards]]> Most of the things that happen within political parties are of no interest, no matter how much their leaders may think otherwise. However, there are traditions that she enjoys seeing preserved. In the local PP, for example, they have constantly harassed Catalina Cirer at every point in her long political career, which ended after three decades with an even more humiliating ouster due to the fact that it came from such an indisputably minor figure as Marga Prohens. It occurred within the framework of a government crisis that wasn't really one, but rather a simple repositioning of pieces to bring the government even more in tune with what Vox might demand. "Whatever they might demand" is the closest way to put it, because the Mallorcan Vox delegation regularly implodes, and it's never known exactly who should be dictating to the government what to do. Vox Baleares' crises always end the same way: from headquarters in Madrid, someone (the more provincial journalists in Mallorca like to imagine it's Abascal himself, but it isn't, it isn't) dismantles the current leadership and digitally gives it another name. It's the way of doing politics they have in Torre Pacheco and that cavemen already had. On this occasion, the person blessed with the leadership of the fascist party in the Balearic Islands was Gabriel Le Senne, an individual who neither resigned nor was removed as Speaker of Parliament despite being charged and awaiting trial for a hate crime. However, within Vox, hate crimes must be a merit and requirement for promotion, the inverse of what happens with Catalan in the Balearic Islands' public health system.

]]> <![CDATA[Aina Calvo on the government's refusal to accept migrant minors: "It must assume its responsibilities."]]>

In front of the government's refusal to accept migrant minors Asylum seekers who are now in the Canary Islands, the Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo, has emphasized that the responsibilities of the administrations are "very defined" in the frameworks of their powers and has warned that "whoever decides to ignore them will have to assume their responsibilities."

]]> <![CDATA[The Government allocates 15 million from the ITS (Tax Income Tax) to help local governments demolish obsolete hotels.]]>

The Government will allocate €15 million from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) to local councils to take over obsolete hotels with the aim of "reducing tourist accommodation, improving the environmental quality of destinations, and also moving toward a more sustainable and balanced tourism model," the Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports announced this Thursday. The vacant spaces will be used to "develop green areas, public housing, educational facilities, health centers, or renaturalization projects that help mitigate the effects of climate change." However, he noted that "many of these establishments, which are now obsolete, lost their accommodations a long time ago." The Executive expects the calls for proposals to be published between October and November 2025. Once resolved, local authorities will have a maximum period of 18 months to execute the projects and an additional three months to justify them. "six or seven" projects for the acquisition and demolition of tourist establishments were left out of last year's call for proposals, which was funded with €16 million from the European Union. The last one is the only one that has already been taken over, while the rest must be demolished before the end of 2025.

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