María Dolores de Cospedal with Biel Company yesterday. | Miquel Àngel Cañellas

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María Dolores de Cospedal, the general secretary of the Partido Popular, yesterday attacked left-wing-run institutions in the Balearics - the government and island councils - and singled out President Armengol for "clearly flirting with those who are declaring war on tourism".

Speaking at the PP's conference of regional leaders, Cospedal said that the PP in the Balearics and in the whole of Spain is "with tourism", and she expressed her confidence in Biel Company, the PP leader in the Balearics, becoming the next regional president.

Among other PP leaders attending was Marga Duran from Palma, who had presented her motion calling condemnation of anti-tourism graffiti and other forms of anti-tourism "vandalism" at the council session on Thursday. It was rejected.

Joana Maria Adrover, recognised that a decision not to vote in favour of the PP's motion was a difficult one. "We are against any discrimination shown towards any group, and that includes tourists."

However, she explained that there is at present "social convulsion" and the PP motion hailed the 2012 tourism law (of the PP's Carlos Delgado) while it also used words such as "condemnation" and "persecution". "I don't think this is the way," said Adrover. Moreover, she and the administration did not want to give importance to four items of graffiti that have been made by four people.

Adrover stressed that the administration is committed to a sustainable tourism which spreads benefits to the whole of society. She added that more money was being invested in tourism promotion than was the case with the previous PP administration.

Duran wondered if there were problems between the three parties which make up the administration - PSOE (of which Adrover is a member), Més and Podemos. PSOE, Duran observed, had voted in favour of similar proposals made in the Balearic parliament. "Who can be against condemning any violent action, vandalism or phobic demonstration against the interests of the Balearics?"