The Plenary of the Consell de Ibiza has approved a motion presented by the PSOE to urge the insular government team to reconsider its decision and use the Next Generation funds in the creation of the 24-hour crisis center for women victims of sexual violence.
The PP, which governs the institution, had renounced a subsidy of 550,000 euros, arguing that the deadlines and conditions imposed by the State made the execution of the project unfeasible. Instead, the insular executive had announced its intention to finance it with its own resources and outsource its management. However, after the insistence of the opposition and the six-month extension granted by the European Union to justify the funds, the plenary has considered that these resources should not be wasted.
The dispute
Although the PP rejected the proposal at first, it finally voted in favor, which allowed its approval. According to the Popular Party, their change of position is due to the fact that they are not against the use of European funds, but against the obstacles to access them. The councilor of Social Welfare, Carolina Escandell, has justified the position that the insular Executive had adopted with the argument that it is very difficult to get a house for this purpose in Ibiza, and that the deadlines were not easy to meet. It is the same line of argument that the Consell had used a couple of weeks ago when referring to the issue with La Voz de Ibiza. Escandell tried to modify the PSOE proposal with an amendment for the Consell to request advice from Ibdona and Social Services technicians before making a decision. However, the socialist spokeswoman, Elena Lopez, rejected the proposal, assuring that the fundamental thing is not the technical advice, but that the insular Executive has the political will to promote the crisis center for victims of sexual violence. From the opposition, both PSOE and Unidas Podemos have criticized the attitude of the insular government and have welcomed the approval of the motion. They consider that the initial refusal of the Consell to receive the grant put at risk the viability of the center and left Ibiza without an essential resource to assist victims of sexual violence. Now, the ball is in the court of the island executive, which must decide whether to change its strategy and finally opt for resorting to European funding. If it does so, the center should be operational before June 2025, the deadline set by the European Union.
