MAJORCA´S FIRST “FAVOURITE SONS”

THE President of the Council of Majorca, Maria Antonia Munar, will present the awards on the occasion of Majorca Day today, when she will hand over the honours and distinctions which the Institution makes each year. For the first time in its history, the acknowledgements in 2004 will include the categories of “Adoptive” and “Favourite” sons and daughters of Majorca. As well as these accolades, there will be eight gold medals of honour awarded for Majorca Day. This year, representatives of the Council have wanted to repair any harm done to date for not having appointed any “Favourite” sons and daughters. The honour has fallen on this occasion to two of the Island's historic figures: Guillem Sagrera and Miquel dels Sants Oliver. To these two names have been added those of George Sand, Robert Graves and Odon del Buen y del Cos, as “Adoptive” daughter and sons.
Following a certain amount of political wrangling over the naming of the writer George Sand as an Adoptive Daughter, due in principle to the short time (three months) that she spent out of her life on the Island, there was eventual unanimous consensus in the Council from all political groups that she should be nominated an Adoptive Daughter of Majorca. Representatives of the Council have already announced that as of next year, other illustrious citizens will be added to the list begun this year. One of the names which will almost certainly be in the running will be that of Emili Darder, the last Republican mayor of Palma who was shot by a firing squad in the Civil War. Nevertheless, he will not be the only one. All spokesmen for the different Parliamentary groups have declared that next year, more women will be honoured by the Council.