Palma, the eighth-largest city in Spain with more than 438,000 inhabitants, is one of the capitals with the highest demographic growth in recent years. This increase, together with the unstoppable influx of tourists, makes tourism management a topic on which the PP and the PSIB agree, albeit with different approaches. The PP resists imposing an entry numerus clausus on the island and the PSIB advocates this limitation as one of the solutions.
After eight years out of the mayor’s office, the PP reclaimed it in 2023 and now aims to revalidate its power in Cort, Palma’s City Hall, where it has not held more than one consecutive term since 2003, in the era of Joan Fageda.
The next year, the current mayor, Jaime Martínez Llabrés, will defend his post, but he will not face the former socialist mayor José Hila, instead facing the PSIB’s new candidate, Iago Negueruela, secretary-general of the Palma Socialists, who ran in the primaries unopposed.
“The right counts eleven PP councillors and six from Vox, which places it two seats above the absolute majority”
The challenge for Negueruela is not easy. The right counts eleven PP councillors and six from Vox, which places it two seats above the absolute majority. To face the forecasts of the Balearic Institute of Social Studies, which indicate Vox could surpass the PSIB, Negueruela has launched into an original campaign with a llonguet (bun) as a symbol and has presented a deluge of proposals in housing, mobility, cleanliness, sustainability and diversification of the economic model.
Martínez Llabrés, although without a majority, governs alone and his relationship with Vox, led in Cort by the former head of the UME Fulgencio Coll, has not been easy. The former head of the Army’s General Staff has given his support to the budgets throughout the term and to other strategic urban planning points, but complains of slow implementation of changes in areas such as parking policy or security and does not guarantee his support for the 2027 municipal accounts.
Although the relationship has not been easy, the majority of the right does not seem threatened; together they exceed 52% of the vote. After Hila left the City Hall on his way to the Senate, the Socialists were led by Rosario Sánchez and now Negueruela will headline the ticket; too many changes in a short time. Moreover, the Socialists’ partners, MÉS, also change candidates. The former mayor between 2017 and 2019, Antoni Noguera, after Neus Truyol’s interim, has given way to David Pujol, who will aim to retain the three councillors from his party in Cort’s plaza. Podemos, for its part, with Lucía Muñoz, currently the only purple councillor, will have trouble not being left out of the council.
“The debate today centers on issues inherent to local politics: housing, safety or strategic urban reforms for the city”
After the turbulent years of corruption at the start of the century, both the two previous left-wing terms and the current one with the PP have been calmer in Palma. The debate today centers on issues inherent to local politics: housing, safety or strategic urban reforms for the city.
In the latest municipal elections, Ciudadanos lost its four councillors, who ended up in the PP’s fold. Despite being out of the council, the nearly 2% share of the liberals is a prize that Martínez Llabrés will seek. The PSIB and MÉS will try to win the Podemos vote, which eight years ago was key to governing and had three councillors and today stands on the verge of being extracouncil.
“Palma will not experience a turn in May 2027, but ten months in politics are a century”
The sense of continuity in the Balearic Government, where Marga Prohens has consolidated her position, and the announcement by Francina Armengol, former president of the Balearic Islands and today the third authority of the State, that she will not run in the autonomous elections, heightens the sense that Palma will not experience a turn in May 2027, but ten months in politics are a century.
