Més Minorca would prefer that the royals didn't use the Marivent.

Més Minorca would prefer that the royals didn't use the Marivent. | Joan Torres

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma29/11/2017 00:00
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Més Minorca have presented a proposed amendment to the regional government's 2018 budget which would eliminate the 1.2 million euros cost of maintaining the Marivent Palace royal residence. The party is proposing that the palace ceases to be for the royal family and is instead used as a hall of residence for students from Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera or as accommodation for patients from those islands who need to stay in Majorca for a lengthy period of time.

The party is part of the government but it formally split from Més Majorca over the contracts affair. It has three seats in parliament and has previously sought to influence the government's budget. This was the case with the tourist tax for 2018. It wanted a freeze on the low-season rate and hinted that this freeze would be a condition for it supporting the budget. In the end, the government accepted that the tourist tax would not increase in the low season.

The tourist tax features in an amendment proposal from PSOE. Under this, hotels which stay open for at least 305 days a year would be able to charge a discounted tourist tax rate.

There have been some 700 amendment proposals from all the political parties. Others include one supported by the Partido Popular and El Pi for a reduction in the salary of the director of the new anti-corruption office (95,000 euros is the proposed salary). These parties have also both made proposals for reducing taxes, including the tourist tax. A major proposal from the PP is for the ministry of culture to be scrapped. The party believes that it is superfluous and that its responsibilities can be transferred to the island councils.