Palma mayor gets mock award over dialogue failure
Palma Mayor Jaime Martínez has been given a mock award over what MÉS per Palma calls his failure to talk and reach agreements with city groups. The party handed him its “Palma Indignada” award on Saturday at the CEIP Aina Moll school in Palma. The prize was part of the revived Sinofós Awards, which MÉS per Palma says champion a fairer, greener and more liveable city.
David Pujol, MÉS per Palma’s candidate for mayor, used the award to call for a change of direction in the city. He said he did not know whether the prize would be displayed in Martínez’s office at Cort, Palma’s city hall, but argued that many people believed the mayor had earned it.
Housing pressure and rising costs
Pujol put the shortage of affordable housing and the rising cost of living at the centre of his criticism. He said people unable to pay rent in their own city were having to stretch their money to make it to the end of the month.
He also accused the city of turning neighbourhoods into tourist showcases while failing to listen to associations and campaign groups working for a fairer Palma. Pujol said housing and living costs were among the city’s biggest challenges.
Three Palma groups also honoured
MÉS per Palma also recognised the Assembly 0–3 Years for campaigning for a public nursery-school network that is sufficient, accessible and of good quality. The party said the group had helped put early-years education on the agenda as a key policy for equal opportunities.
The Sa Calatrava neighbourhood association was honoured for its work in the area, its defence of the Bellesombra trees and the 50th anniversary of the district’s festivities. A third award went to the Ses Veles neighbourhood association for campaigning over the seafront and against the GESA megaproject.
MÉS per Palma said Ses Veles was calling for transparency, public debate and public participation in deciding the future of the site.
Topics: Housing · Education · Tourism · Politics · Palma
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com