PSOE, the main opposition party in the Balearics, are open to an agreement with the governing Partido Popular so that they (the PP) are "comfortable" with changes to the tourist tax.
Spokesperson and former tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, said on Monday: "There will be no obstacles to its approval, no excuses."
The PP have confirmed that they are in talks with PSOE to agree on the wording of an amendment to the sustainable tourism tax legislation. PSOE have registered a proposal for changes, but the PP currently insist that the measure must first be approved by the government's sustainability pact.
Negueruela says PSOE are prepared to vote for terms proposed by President Prohens in order to obtain a compromise, even if they believe these could be more ambitious. "We'll have to see if there's real will or excuses. We'll have to see whether the PP want it or not. Let it go to the sustainability pact, let it be discussed, but we'll see who's saying it shouldn't be done, and if there's an obstacle."
Negueruela points out that other relevant measures, those introduced by government decrees, have not been referred to the sustainability pact. He wonders if the PP will seek to excuse themselves based on what the pact decides.
It might be noted that opposition parties, PSOE among them, walked away from the pact's working parties. Others, such as the Forum for Civil Society and the environmentalists GOB also abandoned the pact. There has been disagreement with procedures and criticism that not all voices represented in the pact - there were originally some 140 entities of varying kinds - were being listened to.
The increase in the tax, which would only apply to the months of June to August, may well have come into effect this year, had it not been for Vox opposition to the increase. Prohens had advocated a high-summer increase (the amount was never specified and still hasn't been) but was forced to back down. The relations between the PP and Vox have now deteriorated to such an extent that the PP will have to reach out to the opposition parties in order to pass certain legislation.