Mallorca youth plan: PSIB pushes rent cap in 96 demands
A rent cap and the return of an independence grant are among 96 demands the PSIB wants included in Mallorca’s new youth plan. The party set out its proposals in Palma on Friday for talks with the governing team at the Mallorca Island Council (Consell de Mallorca). Housing, climate change and the use of Catalan are its non-negotiable issues.
Joan Méndez, a councillor and secretary-general of Mallorca’s Socialist Youth, said the proposals are aimed at helping young people set up home on their own. The party wants the council to cap rents and reinstate the independence grant it scrapped in 2023.
It also calls on the council to buy flats and offer them at affordable prices, as well as setting up a public rental register for young workers.
Buses, cooling spaces and culture
Méndez wants more frequent public transport and longer operating hours, saying young people are the generation that uses it most. The PSIB also wants more direct links between municipalities without passengers having to travel through Palma.
The party proposes climate refuges — places offering shelter from heat — in council-owned buildings such as sports halls, courtyards and mountain refuges. It also wants a public-awareness campaign on the effects of climate change on the Serra de Tramuntana.
Its cultural proposals include grants for Catalan-language content creators and cultural circuits where young musicians, painters and sculptors can work. Méndez accused the island government of backing culture in Palma more than elsewhere on Mallorca.
The package also seeks help for young athletes who cannot afford club fees, plus a youth support office offering mental support and guidance. The Consell de Eivissa already has such an office, according to the PSIB.
PSIB says plan is late
Catalina Cladera, the PSIB spokesperson at the Mallorca Island Council, said the youth plan had arrived too late in the term and was being put forward simply to create a good image. She said her party wanted a plan that would be useful and bring change.
Cladera also criticised Vox for not attending meetings to draw up the plan, calling on it to join the negotiations and carry out its duties as part of the island government. She said youth policy should tackle the problems faced by young people on Mallorca rather than focus on trips to the snow or Menorca.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com