The Balearic government has been forced to backtrack and drop legislation making vaccination for health and social care workers obligatory.
The Spanish government has advised the Armengol administration that the Balearics do not have powers to introduce this legislation. This is a not unfamiliar situation whereby the regional government would be deemed to have invaded state powers. If the legislation were to stand, the Spanish government would appeal it to the Constitutional Court, which would rule in favour of the state.
The only way that vaccination could be made obligatory would be if the Inter-Territorial Council for the National Health System were to approve it. The Balearic government will be making a proposal that the Council does make vaccination obligatory, but the government could run into opposition from certain regional health ministries in Spain.
Aware that it cannot oblige people who work in certain sectors to be vaccinated, the Balearic government is making a renewed appeal for everyone to be vaccinated. Spokesperson Iago Negueruela says that "we must thank the population that this process is a success and an example for everyone; even so, we must continue to improve". Seventy-seven of the target population in the Balearics has so far had the full course of vaccination.