Armengol argues the case for constitutional reform

"Responses to our territorial tensions and solutions to some of the challenges central to the next few years are in the Constitution."

Marking the 41st anniversary of the referendum which confirmed the Constitution, Armengol said at an Almudaina Palace event that she defends the Constitution as "the consensus that makes possible all consensus" and as the key element for sustaining democratic society. The Constitution, she believed, sets the framework for coexistence which should be compatible with distinct ideological approaches. "Dialogue involves conviction and letting go.It should not be rigid. It has to be flexible."

The Constitution in her view, therefore, is not a framework solely limited to defining the unity of Spain. "It must be broader. We need to have a more open reading of a text that was so advanced in its time. The Constitution cannot be used in order to confront and corner those who want dialogue."

The president argued that constitutional reform should "deepen the territorial model". This will require "a generous debate" for which the Constitution will clearly express the competences of each region and establish a model for the fair distribution of resources.

Armengol called for a transparent financing system that responds to the "generous solidarity" of the Balearics, which guarantees quality of services and that takes into account the insularity and fragility of island territories such as the Balearics. In improving the territorial model, she advocated reform of the Senate in order to deepen the regional system. With regard to fragmentation in Congress, she asked for "responsibility" in forming a government that will apply renewed force to the economy and to "reforms which cannot wait any longer".

"We need the blockage of the state to be overcome very soon. Consensus is needed for restoring normality to political institutions." The Constitution, she continued, marks the way for "escaping tensions" that have arisen from the political fragmentation as well as for solutions for a society that is very different to that of 41 years ago. This difference is due to an ageing population, changes in the economy, and "the vulnerability of a planet that must be protected with greater firmness, speed and determination".