One understands that political parties expend a wholly disproportionate amount of energy blaming other parties for whatever the issue may be. But one is entitled to grow weary at the repetitious blame that the Balearic tourism minister, Jaume Bauzá, apportions to the previous government and its authorisation of 115,000 accommodation places.
For Bauzá, this is THE reason for tourist overcrowding, one he could have done something about but chose not to. Instead, 90,000 places that would have disappeared were reactivated. He repeated this again in parliament on Tuesday and then went on to downplay the government’s own survey of public opinion regarding tourism. This, shall we say, was not wholly favourable.
However, in the minister’s view, this was due to the 115,000 places. “Don’t try to confuse people; citizens are represented in this parliament; they are not represented in a survey of 2,000 people.” An opposition spokesperson asked: “If this survey is useless, then why did you commission it?” He might have added that the government has said that it will be listening to all views.
What was the survey then? Nothing more than a confirmation of blame in the minister’s opinion. And so blame is all that seems to matter. Again and again and again; the same message. Where is the listening?