Balearic President takes his rejected “anti-crisis pact” to Madrid

REJECTED by opposition parties in the Balearics, regional President Francesc Antich, was in Madrid yesterday rallying support for his 13-point “anti-crisis” strategy to set the Islands on course for a “successful and sustainable” future.

Holding on to the reins of power after his ruling coalition split in the wake of a series of corruption scandals, Antich again called on other Parliamentary parties to join him in shoring up the economy at a time when neither unions nor businesses were prepared for further “disarray”.

Speaking at a lunch in Madrid yesterday, organised by the “New Economy Forum” and making reference to the scandals and coalition rupture, Antich said that he was aware that much of recent news from the Balearics has been “discouraging” and did not “help the economy” in the least.

He described the alleged corruption as a “plague” on economic activity and one which destroyed the confidence of ordinary people in the government for whom they had voted. Antich said that in order to distance himself and his team from the scandals, he had chosen to oust the Majorcan Unionists from the ruling coalition and govern in a minority.

He explained that he had openly invited the opposition parties to collaborate with him on securing political stability and on building a foundation for the sustainable future of Balearic society.