“Slave to big business in London, Berlin”

Staff reporter ON the occasion of one hundred days in power of the new regional government, there was criticism from parliamentary Opposition group spokesmen yesterday, on the speech made by the Balearic leader, Jaume Matas. Although he had been soundly supported by the Popular Party and Union Majorca in the opening debate on current affairs in the Islands, the Socialists believed that Matas had not made substantial reference to social policy Francesc Antich, previous Balearic president and Socialist spokesman claimed. “The new government is still relying on the polemic of its investiture. The themes are radically right wing where economic development clashes with environmental interest”. Antich insisted strongly that there hadn't been a hint of social policy on the agenda in Matas' speech. This Balearic Socialist view coincided with that of Pere Sampol, representing the Majorcan Socialist-Nationalist coalition. Sampol described Matas' speech as “hawkish” and “ultraliberal”, condemning the new president as a “prisoner” of big business in “London and Berlin”. Margalida Rosselló representing the United Left/Green party coalition, reproached the Balearic leader for having made a speech “lacking in substance” and laden with “cynicism”. She declared that Matas hadn't been addressing the Opposition parliamentary groups but instead had merely been delivering propaganda by means of an “empty speech”. A different and more supportive view came from María Antonia Munar, leader of Union Majorca, who described yesterday's speech as a “true representation of reality”, “a clear stand from which to face the future” and “a message of hope”. Munar is president of the Council of Majorca, a position that she holds thanks to the support of the ruling Popular Party. Parliamentary spokesman for the Popular Party, Joan Huguet, pointed out that the contents of Matas' speech in no way let down the people of the island who had given the current president an absolute majority to govern.