Mallorca budget row: car misuse claim sparks sack call

Mallorca's 2027 island council budget sparks a sacking call: Socialist spokeswoman Catalina Cladera demands Pedro Bestard's removal as he presents the plans in Palma on Friday, 13 November. He appears alongside finance councillor Rafel Bosch.

The dispute centres on a claim that Bestard used official cars for private purposes. News emerged on Thursday that a court in Palma had agreed to examine a criminal complaint alleging misuse of public funds. That decision does not establish whether the claim is true.

Cladera called Bestard's role in the presentation “unworthy”. She said the Socialists had sought his resignation, or his dismissal by island council president Llorenç Galmés, for more than six months. According to Cladera, the investigation followed a report from her party and a criminal complaint from the public prosecutor's office.

Bosch defended Bestard's presence by citing the People's Party's ethics code, according to the Socialists. They say it does not require a politician to step aside unless a trial is opened.

Cladera said her party would examine the budget in detail once it received all the documents, which it did not have at the presentation. From the figures released so far, she sees too little ambition on housing, social care, disability and inclusion. She also says some planned income is not clearly set out.

Topics: Court cases · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com