Spokespersons' committee takes stock of parliamentary session

reunio---junta-de-portaveus pr2This morning came with a meeting of the Junta de Portaveus—the parliamentary spokespersons' committee—of the Formentera Council. Made up of representatives from each political party on the Council as well as the administration's president and his department chief, Jaume Ferrer and Bartomeu Escandell, the group sat down today for its last meeting this term.

According to the CiF chief, the Junta has convened 24 times during the current parliamentary term, compared to only six times in the term that ran from 2011 to 2015. He said that 14 priority proposals obtained cross-party support in 2015, but that getting them off the ground would require the involvement of other agencies. “The last four years have been a prime example of what can be achieved when we base our efforts on consensus”, said Ferrer, adding that most of the administration's proposals have come to fruition.

Councillor Escandell gave an update on those 14 proposals. He highlighted the effort to oversee a reordering of estany des Peix, celebrating recent changes that he said “put the Council in a position to discuss the pond's management—and the recovery of the natural gem it represents—with the islanders who actually use it”.

Other projects that have picked up steam have involved regulating which vehicles can be brought onto the island, improving the regulation scheme in place on the local coastline, activating the irrigation pond, starting work on the assisted living centre, reordering la Savina port, preparing for construction of Sant Ferran's new schools, promoting year-round housing, taking possession of authority over tourism promotions and securing funding that reflects Formentera's “double insularity”.

The councillor insisted that there is work still ahead, and pointed to efforts like regulating maritime transport, building the Formentera museum, modernizing es Ca Marí power plant and reclaiming the island's salterns, or salines. The entire committee described the Junta as an effective tool in building consensus on projects that affect Formentera.

May 7, 2019
Àrea de Comunicació
Formentera Council