Algaida is honored with the appointment of Francesc Antich as an Illustrious Son of the town

AlgaidaThe portrait of the former mayor of the municipality and president of the Balearic Islands government will now hang forever in the Algaida Town Hall's plenary hall, alongside other illustrious sons of the town such as Pere Capellà Roca and Pere Llull Fullana. Antich's family was present at the plenary session, including his wife, Concha Garcia, and his two sons, Pep and Tomeu. Tomeu spoke on behalf of the family: "Words cannot express how proud and happy we are of this tribute. I know I'm not mistaken in saying that for him there is no greater gift or honor than to preside forever, alongside the other illustrious sons, over the Algaida Town Hall's plenary hall. He proclaimed far and wide the pride he felt in being from Algaida; today he is a happy man."

The act of appointing Francesc Antich OliverBeing named an Illustrious Son of Algaida has been much more than simply receiving the highest municipal honor. It has been a local institutional recognition, yes, but also a regional and national one. It has been a tribute to someone who, while living in Algaida and the Pla de Mallorca, was "a statesman," "a public servant who never forgot his Algaida roots." Although the extraordinary plenary session for the appointment took place in the Porrassar multipurpose hall to ensure capacity, the space proved too small to accommodate the crowd that didn't want to miss the occasion and the municipality's highest institutional recognition of Francesc Antich. The solemn session was presided over by the mayor of Algaida, Margalida Fullana, and included remarks by the Councilor for Culture, Francesc Ramis, who oversaw the process that culminated in this recognition. Ramis emphasized that recognizing Antich's legacy "serves to show that this small town in the Pla de Mallorca has been able to give our land, and the entire country, a statesman, a consensus-building politician, a public servant who never forgot his Algaida roots."

Having reviewed his biography and political career, the councilor pointed out that Francesc Antich's approach to politics "was different, unique, almost exceptional in the contemporary landscape. It was the style of a man who, above all, understood politics as listening, serenity, and respect," and who "reminded us that people can exercise their power." In this regard, he emphasized that "his legacy is not only measured by the laws passed or the positions held, but above all by the memory of his way of doing things: calm, respectful, honest, and profoundly humane. This is, and will forever be, his deepest mark." For her part, Margalida Fullana stressed that the recognition is not a mere formality; it is an act that "says a great deal about what is being recognized, because it says even more about the people who recognize it." The mayor noted that Antich stood out "for a style of governance based on serenity, for the conviction that listening is not a weakness, but a strength, for the idea that power should not be exercised with noise, but with responsibility." She then moved to a more personal note, pointing out that "behind the institutional figure is the neighbor, the person who has walked the same streets, who has loved this landscape and who has never stopped feeling part of this town. The neighbor who makes coffee in the bar and stops to chat without haste, the one who strolls along the paths that only familiar land provides."

State and regional authorities

The session was attended by leaders at the national, regional, and island levels. Among those present were the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, as well as several Secretaries of State: Aina Calvo, Arcadi España, and Rosario Sánchez. Also in attendance were the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports of the Balearic Islands Government, Jaume Bauzà; the President of IMAS (Mallorca Institute of Social Affairs), Guillermo Sánchez; the Government Delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez; and the Commanding Officer of the Civil Guard in the Balearic Islands, Colonel Alejandro Hernández.

Among the attendees were residents of Algaida, friends, and former political allies. Former mayors of Algaida, Bernat Sastre, Jaume Jaume, Francesc Miralles, and Maria Antònia Mulet, were also present. One of the highlights of the day was the unveiling of the official portrait of Francesc Antich, a work by the painter Luis Maraver. During the extraordinary plenary session, Joan Valent gave a live musical performance, which lent an intimate and emotional tone to the event with the presentation and premiere of the piece. AlgaidaA video was also shown featuring images representative of Francesc Antich's life and institutional career, from his beginnings in municipal politics to his responsibilities at the highest regional level. The event, open to the public, concluded with a long round of applause as a tribute to a figure who has left a profound mark on the recent history of Algaida and the Balearic Islands. We close this report of the plenary session with Antich's eulogy, recited by his son Tomeu, who recalled that he wrote it one year when he was unable to attend the bonfires of the Sant Honorat festivities. No fire, no bonfire, no embers, no sausage

In Madrid I'm holding an evening event at the Senate, which is in session.

Thinking clearly about a corner of my beloved island

Algaida has the toast of the Patron Saint Honorado.

From this remote place, I wish you a good afternoon.

May it be a night well-supplied with food, wine, and commentary.

Francesc Antich Oliver died on January 2, 2025 at the age of 66.