The Partido Popular has launched a new call from the Senate to reactivate the road agreement between the State and the island councils of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The objective of this initiative, as explained by Senator Cristóbal Marqués, is to guarantee the necessary investments for the maintenance and improvement of the road infrastructures of the Balearic Islands. The proposal includes a key approach: that the agreement be financed with specific items, unrelated to the insularity factor, and that these be incorporated into the General State Budget for 2025. Marqués defended the motion as “an act of justice” for the Balearic Islands, arguing that this autonomous community lacks the state investment in roads that other regions with highways and freeways financed by the central government do receive. “It is incomprehensible that the councils have to allocate their own funds to cover this lack, which forces them to divert resources from other priority areas,” he said.
The impact of the delay in the agreement
The senator also emphasized the consequences of the lack of state funding, pointing out that it affects not only the development of infrastructures, but also the quality of life of citizens. “The consells are assuming improper competences, using funds that could be allocated to fundamental social or economic policies for our islands,” said Marqués. The motion presented in the Senate not only seeks to reestablish the road agreement, but also to ensure that it becomes an effective tool to improve mobility and road safety in the archipelago. The Partido Popular has also expressed its gratitude for the commitment of Govern Prohens, who has advanced resources to cover the most urgent needs, despite the lack of financial support from the central government.
Precedents in Parliament
Marqués recalled that this same proposal received the support of all political groups in the Balearic Parliament, including the backing of the Socialist Party. “We would not understand that now in the Senate there would be a change of position. Unanimity is key to send a clear message to the central government about the needs of the Balearic Islands,” he said. In addition, the PP spokesman took the opportunity to stress the urgency of addressing other related issues, such as the insularity bonus for agents of the security forces in the islands, a historical claim that remains unresolved.
A call for consensus
With this motion, the Popular Party seeks to pressure the Executive to recognize the importance of a road agreement in an autonomous community that, according to Marqués, has been historically relegated in this area. “It is time for the State to assume its responsibility and stop transferring this financial burden to local administrations,” concluded the senator.
