In parliament on Wednesday, the Balearic tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, insisted that there has been consensus and agreement for the new tourism law. Contrasting the process for this decree with previous ones, he told the Partido Popular opposition that he had approved three previous tourism decrees without having needed to speak to anyone.
Three PP deputies asked questions about the decree and specifically about who it had been agreed with. "It seems to bother them (the opposition) that we do have agreement."
Negueruela admitted that there had been tension and arguments during meetings. But the consensus, he stressed, has been "practically total". "We all give in and we all win, that is social dialogue." Investment, he added, is being redirected towards growth based on quality.
Javier Bonet of the PP accused the government of "threatening, lying to and using" hoteliers, while Sebastià Sagreras regretted the fact that the opportunity to reach consensus with all sectors had been lost.
Meanwhile, Jorge Campos of Vox accused President Armengol of favouring powerful hoteliers. The tourism decree had been negotiated, he suggested, with just "a couple of large hoteliers whose business is being aided by taking away competition through blocking tourist accommodation places".
>Campos called for "less prohibition and fewer restrictions and sanctions". He proposed that the title of the decree should be changed from the "tourism circularity law" to a law for the “2030 Agenda for the sustainability of subsidised unions and the circularity of the business of large hoteliers".
Armengol told Campos that the workers who support the government's legislative reform "are the most disadvantaged" and asked him to define his position in respect of circularity and containing growth of tourist numbers.