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The Més per Mallorca party today looks very little like the moderate nationalist formation founded in February 1976 under the name of the Mallorcan Socialist Party ( PSM ). In 2010, this party reinvented itself and formed a stable coalition with other formations of the Balearic nationalist and environmentalist environment to give rise to what is known as Més, a fundamental part of the autonomous government that the socialist Francina Armengol presides over since 2015.

The first characteristic of Més is that, unlike what the PSM was, it is not a moderate formation. The former leaders of Mallorcan nationalism - Damià Ferrà Ponç , Sebastià Serra , Pere Sampol and, above all, Mateu Morro , who was general secretary of the PSM from 1985 to 2002 - are retired from politics and have given way to a new generation that has turned the party into an independence project.

The wake to follow has been Catalonia. As the now extinct CiU was radicalized, Més was adopting separatist positions with some peculiarities. When you ask your leaders what independence they defend, there are different answers.

For some the goal is the independence of Catalonia, for others the independence of the Balearic Islands, and for a third group the independence of the Catalan Countries , where apart from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands is the Valencian Country.

The independence drift has been accentuated since in 2016 Bel Busquets was appointed general secretary of the training in substitution of Biel Barceló , who was forced to leave the post after discovering that he had traveled for free to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic). Previously, I was already on a tightrope because of a corruption case that was finally filed.

Reflection of Catalan independence

With the march of Barceló the Més step from nationalism to independence was completed. Bel Busquets and the general coordinator and number two , Guillem Balboa , frequently participate in the independence demonstrations held in Mallorca and Catalonia; they always talk about political prisoners when referring to the procés leaders condemned by the Supreme Court, they wear yellow ties and consider the Civil Guard a military occupation force.

Despite this radicalization process, the Balearic PSOE of Francina Armengol has had no qualms about agreeing with Més to get the regional government, the Consell de Mallorca and the City Council of Palma.

In May 2019, Més had 39,000 votes - 9.2% - and got four deputies out of the 59 that make up the Balearic Parliament. In four years, the formation that had gone from being a nationalist to an independentist has lost 10,000 votes and two deputies. The PSOE of Armengol won the elections with 19 deputies, but was far from the absolute majority.

He managed to form a Government by agreeing with United We can - six deputies - and with Més per Mallorca - four. The independentistas have two consellers in the Balearic Government: Miquel Vidal in the Environment and Fina Santiago in Social Services. In addition, he holds the regional secretariat of Language Policy, a kind of vice-council that Armengol invented to please Més and get his support.

Language policy is in the hands of the independentists. In the Balearic Islands, this has resulted in the imposition of Catalan in education and in the controversial decree that obliges doctors and other health workers to know Catalan in order to work in the public health of the Balearic Islands. Knowledge of Catalan is also a requirement for all officials, when during the previous PP Government it only counted as a merit to access a place.

Six million in additional expenses

The formation of the pact between PSOE, Més and Unidos Podemos has led the Government to increase the number of senior officials by 40% and the number of advisors by 20%, which represents an additional expenditure of six million during the four years of the legislature . In addition, spending has skyrocketed to comply with the agreed policies. Now the Government has 500 million in red numbers , will default on the deficit and has a debt exceeding 9,200 million euros.

The negotiations between the PSOE, Més and Unidos Podemos to create the government pact were very complicated and caused a deep crisis in the sovereignist formation that has not yet been resolved. The problem was that the representatives of Més decided to designate themselves to hold positions.

When everything was already agreed, a sector of Més rebelled alleging that the renovation was necessary and that it was not correct that the same people who had negotiated the agreements now occupy the important positions. There were urgent meetings and fights. It was partially rectified and an agreement was reached that meant closing the crisis in false. As a result, the two leaders of Més, Bel Busquets and Guillem Balboa, have been very touched.

In November the formation will hold a general assembly to renew all positions. In the background of the internal conflict is the battle between the most radical sector of Busquets and Balboa with the most moderate sector represented by Fina Santiago and the former mayor of Palma Antoni Noguera . At the moment, the radical sector continues to control the party and has not hesitated to propose even the celebration within a few years of a referendum that involves a Balearic 1-O.

In Linguistic Policy, Més governs at ease. The immersion in Catalan is implemented in all public centers. In addition, Més is now preparing the project to create the Office of Linguistic Rights, an agency that will ensure the imposition of Catalan in all areas, not only in the Administration, but also in private companies.

Fina Santiago, the least radical

As for the other areas of Government, the most valued by Més is that of Fina Santiago, Minister of Social Services. Santiago belongs to the less radical sector and its management during the last legislature and the present one is proving very positive in the opinion of all the entities of the so-called third sector.

The leader has created the Guaranteed Minimum Income and has reduced waiting lists to obtain aid to the agency. Més has also imposed very radical measures on the PSOE, such as the limitation of the number of tourists and cruise ships and the suppression of two dozen highway projects.

The Consell de Mallorca is also governed by the PSOE in coalition with Més and Unidos Podemos, and the same is true in the City Council of Palma. In the municipal elections, Més got 108 councilors and holds the Mayor's Office of seven municipalities of the 53 in Mallorca. In many of them it governs in coalition with other forces, mainly the PSOE, the regionalist party and independent formations.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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