Get your act together

The coalition Balearic Government was hit by yet another resignation yesterday. This time the Balearic Minister for Public Works Josep Ferrer has left Francesc Antich's team due to a row over the building freeze. It appears that other coalition party members were putting pressure on Ferrer over the controversial issue. The Minister for Public Works is an extremely important and responsible post commanding a massive budget. His resignation will cause shock-waves within the local govermment at a time when it is probably at its most delicate with the coalition member, the Majorcan Unionists, openly speaking out against leader Antich and his policies. The building freeze was always going to be a delicate issue. It is exceptionally complex and I have always thought that the local government had tried to rush through legislation without thinking of the consequences. A building freeze in the Balearics needs plenty of thought and the consensus of all parties involved from builders to the local government. The freeze has always been the coalition's key policy but already a key minister has quit and the Majorcan Nationalists are “upset”. I think as far as President Antich is concerned it is back to the drawing board. Before he plans controversial legislation he must make sure that he has the full support of all the parties involved otherwise the Balearics will just go from one political crisis to the next.