The announcement by the regional government that the tourist tax planned for 2016 will also be levied on residents has led the leader of Podemos in the Balearics, Alberto Jarabo, to say that his party would not support a tax that limits the movement of residents through ports and airports.
While Jarabo was specifically referring to the possibility of the tax being collected at points of entry, he also appears to be rejecting the notion of a levy on residents in any event. Podemos has made it clear, he says, that those who pay the tax should be those who have an impact on the Balearic Islands, i.e. tourists. Taxpayers on the islands "subsidise" the influx of tourists by being the only ones who pay for costs of infrastructure, waste and security.