The Balearic Parliament's annual debate on the state of the regional community is held prior to the processing of the annual budget bill. The two tie in as the debate allows the government to signal projects that may be contained in the budget. The debate also offers a stage to announce stellar projects. In this regard, Marga Prohens delivered on Tuesday, pulling the Palma-Llucmajor (via the airport) railway out of the hat. It needs to be prioritised due to high demand. Mobility studies indicate that it would have 7.5 million passengers per year.
Mallorca's roads and transport are a high priority. Prohens said: "We cannot normalise traffic jams. We cannot allow ourselves to normalise them being a problem for citizens." She went on to point out that despite Mallorca's limited territory, "we are the community with the most cars per inhabitant". "This has already made us move towards brave measures. Mallorca is waiting for load studies that will allow us to make the best decisions for mobility on the island."
With this statement, the president appeared to link the stellar status of the Llucmajor railway to another announcement during her presentation - the "brave" measures for combating tourist overcrowding. It might be recalled how the social and political pact for sustainability came about. It was primarily a consequence of scenes of road congestion in early spring. The load studies are integral to deliberations of the pact's working parties.
Budgeted items for roads are known. These include a fourth lane on the Via Cintura between the Inca motorway junction and the Valldemossa exit and an additional lane between the airport and Playa de Palma.
While these are covered by funding, the link between the great debate stellar project and the budget is weakened because of exceptional investment, while it clearly isn't about to be built next year. And this means Madrid and the Spanish Government's willingness to fund. Major infrastructure projects of this type can require state funding. Remember the tram scheme of the last government? The Partido Popular have spoken about a reallocation of the tram's funding. But it isn't as simple as that. Madrid provides investment for specific projects, not an open cheque for money to be spent as is deemed fit.
Prohens alluded to this in that she demanded payment for road agreements from Madrid and for rail projects. The regional government will not abandon the demand for roads, while in respect of the railways she stressed: "If the government of Spain has the resources to agree to 6,000 million euros of investments in commuter trains in Catalonia, it should also have them for the railway network in the Balearics."