Dear Sir,
The problems in Calvia emanating from the mix of politics with the foreigner’s department are not new (the left-wing PSOE is accusing the department of promoting the right-wing PP – Daily Bulletin 9 May).
For some time the department has had a right wing bias. Initially the group Instituto de Proprietatrios gathered together owners, mainly British, to advise them of their rights and responsibilities. By 1992 this morphed into Cuidadonos Europeos with a wider range of members both Spanish and other EU residents interested in integrating more into the life of Spain.
While interested in local politics as it affected them the group was at first apolitical.
Over the next few years this changed as the leadership of the group became closely associated with the “conservative” Partido Popular (the PP). The group president Dr Kate Mentink was instrumental in having the foreigners department established. The potential influence of the group in motivating the foreign vote in local elections was promoted.
This was not accepted by all – especially those wanting politics completely off the agenda. After 1999 the disagreement came to a head and the apolitical group split off into Circulo Europeos while the politicos spined off into Europeos por España leaving Cuidadanos Europeos to concentrate on cultural events etc. which it still continues to date.
Consensus especially among left wing politicians both here in Spain and back in the UK is that ex-pats are right wing and will only vote for right wing parties. Hence Tony Blair’s Labour Party cut their effect in UK elections by disenfranchising us with the 15 year rule. The Socialists in Spain also see no mileage in seeking the foreign vote.
The Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol (the PSOE) in Palma has also shown it’s preferences by closing down the foreign department in the past when they came into office.
In Spain there are 4 levels of government (I would argue 2 too many) and on Sunday I will be voting for delegates to 3 of them. As in Britain I have no voting right to Parliament. The PSOE‘s lack of interest in the foreign vote is shown clearly in their candidate lists for Palma. Among their 104 candidates I could not find a single foreign name.
To a certain degree the PP is no longer an avid ex-pat supporter. In Calvia, which has the largest concentration of European foreigners, they have downgraded Angie Guerrero in their list such that our only elected British politician on the island is unlikely to be voted in.
Mike Lillico
Playa de Palma