Political campaigning

By Jason Moore WITH just a few months left to the local elections political campaigning is already underway. The Andratx scandal has hit the ruling Partido Popular hard and the party must fear that they could lose their majority in the local parliament. While there is little doubt that the Partido Popular will win the local elections they need a landslide to gain an overall majority so that they can form the local government. Until six weeks ago Balearic leader, Jaume Matas, was on course for a comfortable winner but enter the Andratx case and things appear different. There has been an increase in support for the opposition Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) whose leader, Francesc Antich, governed the Balearics for a full term four years ago. However, support for the smaller left-leading parties has dropped so that it is unclear whether Francesc Antich will be forming a government. If the Partido Popular failed to secure a majority then they will have little option but to form a coalition with the Majorcan Unionists. At present the two parties do form a coalition in some key municipalities but it is certainly not a match made in heaven. Also, some grass root Partido Popular members would like to see the back of the Unionists and their leader Maria Antonia Munar, who is President of the Council of Majorca. Ideally, Matas would like to govern alone and a pact with Munar would be a victory for the Unionists but a defeat, in some ways for the Partido Popular. All in all the political campaign is underway and I think the result is too close to call.