At the fourth conference of presidents of the Balearic Islands held in Ibiza on Tuesday, one of the main topics for discussion was the demographic challenge. The presidents of the island councils and President Armengol are to work together for this and are calling for there to be a state strategy.
The conference brought together Catalina Cladera, the president of the Council of Mallorca, and her counterparts in Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera - respectively, Susana Mora, Vicent Marí and Alejandra Ferrer. As well as President Armengol, other members of the government were in attendance.
At a press conference, Armengol expressed her appreciation for the way in which the islands have demonstrated their "ability to work together" at an "extraordinary" time like the present one. Reactivation on the islands is already being felt.
Regarding the demographic challenge, the president stated that the Balearics is an "overpopulated" region and therefore has a specific reality that affects essential services. The population of the whole of the Balearics has increased by 39 per cent over the past 20 years, but in Ibiza and Formentera this has been much higher - up to 70 per cent.
She explained that the islands have lost some twenty points of GDP per capita over the past two decades. This is why there is the need for a state strategy that truly understands the situation in the Balearics and takes account of the different realities on each of the islands.
Vicent Marí said that the demographic challenge was a matter that "must be put on the table". Transport, he added, is another important issue.
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Recognition and acknowledgment of the current situation is about as enlightening as the government is on the economic matters and overall sustainability. Those in power still appear to think that all of these matters are separate and exclusive, and however many times it is pointed out to them that the Balearic Islands needs a new sustainability strategy they come out with a load of political rhetoric that gets us nowhere....it can only be concluded, yet again, that their intellect does not enable them to understand and or propose sustainability and economics.