If you are undecided as to which party to vote for at the local and European elections on 26 May, the Bulletin has produced a special election campaign of short videos in English featuring candidates from the six main parties: the Partido Popular, PSOE, Més, Ciudadanos, Vox and Unidas Podemos. They explain what they stand for and why you should vote for them. All of the videos will be online to watch on the website from midday Monday).
Representing the Partido Popular is Rosa Estaras, former vice-president of the Balearics who has been a Euro MP for the past ten years. Leading Calvia businessman and European candidate Juan Nigorra is campaigning for Vox. Unidas Podemos put forward their second candidate for the Balearic parliament, Antonia Martin. Speaking on behalf of PSOE is Alicia Homs. Candidate for the European parliament, Patricia Guasp, a lawyer for PricewaterhouseCooper, who is standing in the local parliamentary and European elections, is representing Ciudadanos. The current vice-president of the Balearic government and minister for tourism, Bel Busquets, who is running for oresident of the Council of Majorca, is campaigning for Més.
All have compelling and different messages for the international community, but one thing all the parties share is a determination to ensure that foreign residents and visitors continue to feel at home, welcome, protected and cared for in the Balearics, especially the British post-Brexit.
They all stress the importance of the forthcoming elections, not only at municipal level but European as well. It appears that Europe is a battleground because of the rise in popularity of extreme parties on both sides, sparking concerns about the future of the European Union, its values and the freedom of movement.
With regard to the Balearics, key issues addressed by all the parties in the videos include as the tourist tax - some are for it while others are against - education and the issue of languages, sustainable tourism, climate change and the environment, health, housing, wages, security, helping industry and small businesses and improved transport connections and mobility.
All of the parties are keen to embrace the foreign community and welcomed the platform the Bulletin offered them to address and transmit their message to international residents, which in some municipalities, providing those entitled to use their votes, could play a key role in the final outcome on polling day.