From "another planet" and "electioneering": reactions to the mayor of Palma's speech in the state of the city debate

PalmaThe opposition in the Palma City Council has accused the mayor, Jaime Martínez, of “living on another planet” and being “detached from the problems” of the citizens, while Vox has described his speech as “electoralist”. This is how the different municipal groups reacted after Martínez's intervention in the debate on the state of the city 2026, which began this Monday, as reported by Europa Press.

The spokesperson for the PSIB in Cort, Francesc Dalmau, criticized that the mayor stated that the people of Palma “live better than three years ago” when, according to the socialist, “the reality is just the opposite”. In this regard, he assured that the citizens are suffering a “brutal housing crisis”, with residents being “expelled” from the city due to the rising cost of housing. Dalmau reproached Martínez for not having announced “any measure” in this regard, such as limiting rental prices.

The socialist also criticized the management of mobility and pointed out that the mayor, “with his official car”, is not aware of the difficulties faced by public transport users. “People are packed like sardines on the bus because mobility is chaos and the city is absolutely collapsed”, he said.

Dalmau also reprimanded Martínez for demanding actions in citizen security, recalling that the incorporations to the Local Police began during the previous term. Furthermore, he denounced that Palma “is getting dirtier and dirtier” and criticized that infrastructures such as the outfalls continue to be unawarded, while cleaning plans are presented which he described as “pure marketing”.

On behalf of MÉS per Palma, Neus Truyol recalled that the PP began the legislature with the promise of solutions for housing and mobility, but that three years later “housing is more expensive” and the city is “totally collapsed”. Truyol also noted that many people have problems arriving at work on time or making ends meet due to the rising cost of housing. “The mayor spends more time on fairs and art galleries than on solving people's problems”, she stated.

The spokesperson for Vox in Cort, Fulgencio Coll, considered that Martínez's intervention was “extensive” and with a “positive” reading of his management. However, he described the speech as an “electoralist start”.