SOCIALISTS SQUEAK HOME
The Socialist PSOE party led by the current Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, squeezed through at the general elections on Sunday, after a surprisingly high turnout at the polling stations. With just over 95 per cent of the votes counted, the PSOE party had won a total of 169 seats in the Spanish parliament, with 43.74 per cent of the vote. This meant a total of five seats more than in the last elections of 2004. Their closest rivals, the Partido Popular, led by Mariano Rajoy, also increased their number of seats by five, gaining a total of 153, with 40.13 per cent of the votes. Although they managed to cut the deficit between the two parties by 1.38 per cent, they finished with 16 seats less than their rivals, the same figure as in 2004. The Nationalist groups around the country were the big losers of the night, with an unprecedented marginalisation of the smaller parties. In total they won just 24 seats, the lowest number since democratic elections began in 1977, proving one of the reasons why both of the main parties increased their number of votes, while remaining a similar distance apart.
Izquierda Unida lost three seats, ending up with just two, prompting their leader, Gaspar Llamazares, to resign claiming he owed it to his party. The other big loser was CiU, the Catalan independent party, who lost a total of five seats, finishing up with just three.
Zapatero was always convinced he would win a second term in office, and few early last year would have argued with him. Back in March 2007, the polls had him winning by over ten points, and it seemed the next twelve months would be a cake-walk. However, over the last year Spain's economic bubble has burst in spectacular fashion. It was feared voters would punish the incumbent leader, even though it was his government which had taken unemployment to its lowest level ever, and fostered solid economic growth. However, over the last twelve months unemployment figures have been going through the roof, while inflation continues to rise, with similar increases in interest rates meaning the voting public has begun to feel the economic pinch. This enabled Rajoy to claw back some voters by spreading fear the country was about to slip into recession. Zapatero, however, claimed this was unlikely and the huge economic surplus gained over the last four years would be used to help ease the crisis.
A victorious Zapatero appeared on the balcony of the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid at just after 11p.m., after victory had been assured. He began by remembering all the terrorist victims of the last four years, including the two Ecuadorians who perished in the attack on Terminal 4 at Madrid airport, and Isaías Carrasco, the ex-socialist Councillor, who, tragically, was murdered on Friday by the terrorist group, just days before the elections (see News from the Mainland).
Zapatero continued "Thank you, thank you for giving this clear victory for the Socialist Party. We've worked hard. It was worth it. Four years ago you told me not to fail you. I never forgot that."
Mr Zapatero said he had received congratulations from his conservative rival, Mariano Rajoy. "I want to thank Mariano Rajoy. He has earned my respect. Spaniards have begun a new era, without tension or confrontation. I will consolidate the things we've done well, and correct mistakes that have been made," he promised.
Mariano Rajoy for his part told dejected followers now was not the time to be downhearted and that much work lay ahead. He said the party had gained five more seats and reduced the majority of the Socialist Government. He revealed that he had phoned the re-elected President to congratulate him and offer him his support.
The immediate future of the PP leader remains a mystery, although in his speech he implied that he was not going anywhere until he was pushed that is.
The turnout was again extremely high with 75.30 per cent of the voting public choosing to take advantage of their democratic right.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Ministers Visit
The minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism for the National Government, Joan Clos, visited the island last Monday, where he confirmed the healthy state of the tourist industry on a national level. Although he said he did not have specific statistics for the Balearics, he confirmed that tourist expenditure grew by 5 per cent in January and the current economic crisis in Europe would not affect the tourist season during 2008.
While other sectors, including construction, had started to decelerate due to the continued economic squeeze across Europe, Clos assured worried hoteliers and businesses that he saw no reason for a decline in numbers this year. He said the industry was, at the moment, very stable and that if businesses continued to invest in their product, there was no cause for alarm in the near future. He claimed the luxury hotel market was currently booming, and those hotels of 4-stars and above were those that could easily compete on a worldwide scale.
The minister caused a considerable amount of controversy during an early morning meeting with members of the press, after he announced he was unaware of the Playa den Bossa project, which was sent to his ministry late last year. The project, which was described by the president of the Consell, Xico Tarres, as the most important in his four year administration, is hoping to completely reform the run down area, and transform its fortunes and negative image. Tarres said he had not briefed the minister about the project and understood he did not know about it personally, claiming it would be impossible for the minister to know first hand all of the projects that are dealt with by his ministry. Tarres underlined the importance of the project, and said he hoped it would begin after the summer season.

Medical Strike Causes Chaos
The medical strike which took place last week forced the cancellation of a total of 894 consultations and 29 operations. The strike, which took place on Monday and Tuesday of last week, is set to continue as the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The figures of how many actually took part in the walkout differed considerably according to who you spoke to, with the Medical Union claiming it had been observed by 80 per cent of staff. However, sources at Ib-Salut, the Balearic Health Service, claimed an average of just 32 per cent had taken part in the strike over the two days, although they did confirm the action had caused a considerable amount of disruption.
On Monday a total of 394 specialist consultancies were cancelled, with 16 people who were expecting an operation told to go home. The second day was just as disorderly, with 388 patients turned away from their consultants appointment and 13 told they would not be having surgery. Representatives of Ib-Salut said they would try to ensure everyone not attended during the two days would be seen in the next two weeks, although the backlog is set to last several months.
Medical centres were the worst affected, with notes left on doors telling patients they had the option of going to A&E in extreme cases or having to re-book their appointment for the following week. However, although busier than usual, all of the A&E departments in the differing medical centres and in Can Misses, said they had coped with the increase in patients, helped by a full complement of staff.
Despite the lack of professionals on duty, people receiving treatment for cancer and dialysis were not affected. However, there were lots of complaints about the action with the majority of people receiving no advance warning that their appointment had been cancelled.
In the Balearics as a whole, a total of 6,138 consultancies were cancelled and 173 operations put on hold. The figures forced the Minister for Health, Vicenc Tomas, to plead with staff to call off a strike which was crippling the system. He said he would get involved in the negotiations only if the strike was called off immediately.
There are just over 3,000 medical staff in the Balearics, all of whom are embroiled in the fight to increase their basic pay. Salaries for doctors range from 43,500-65,000 depending on their position within the system. While basic pay remains at just 1,135 a month, all staff receive varying bonuses which helps push this amount up considerably. The main sticking points remain the hourly rate received by on-duty doctors, and the insular bonuses paid for working on an island.
The financial director of Ib-Salut, Luis Carretero, claimed on Monday that the lines of communication were still very much open, and said he could not understand the action taken. He said strikes were normally called as a last resort when dialogue had completely broken down and there was no other obvious way forward. He declared that this was not the case in these discussions, and that the dialogue had only just begun. He claimed there was some political reasoning behind the strike action, called just days before the national elections. However, he did add that their demands were ludicrously high and would add around 30 million to the annual wage bill on the four islands.
For the time being an agreement has not been reached, with staff and patients alike preparing for further strikes on Monday and Tuesday, with more action planned for 25th March if there was still no consensus between the two groups.

Tourist Promotion
The president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres, announced, early in the week, a 3.6 million investment in the promotion of the island around the globe. For the first time Ibiza will be able to concentrate on its own promotion, with Formentera receiving a separate budget. The total is 30 per cent more than last year and will ensure Ibiza has a strong presence in all the major tourist fares around Europe, starting with the travel market celebrated this weekend in Berlin.
2.3 million of the total will be given by the Govern Balear, with a further 1.25 million being supplied by Central Government and Turespana, the national tourism authority. The rest will be put up by the Consell Insular. The minister for Tourist Promotion, Pepa Mari, said she was delighted with the contribution of the major institutions, adding that it would help promote the island across the world in both the new and mature markets.

Treatment Call
The Cancer Association on the island has underlined the importance of ensuring the new hospital has a radiotherapy department when it is eventually constructed. Plans for the new infirmary are currently being discussed at the Consell, with work hopefully due to start by the end of this year. Antonio Pallicer, the recently named president of the association, claimed that at the moment a total of 500 patients were currently having to make the trip to Majorca to receive the necessary treatment. He added that with a population which could reach 180,000 by the time the hospital has been finished in 2011, the service was now a necessity on the island.
Many people with cancer will have radiotherapy as part of their treatment. This can be given either as external radiotherapy from outside the body using x-rays or from within the body as internal radiotherapy. It works by destroying the cancer cells in the treated area. Although normal cells can also be damaged by the process, they can usually repair themselves.
Radiotherapy treatment can cure some cancers and can also reduce the chance of a cancer coming back after surgery. It may also be used to reduce symptoms.
Some people find that the side effects are very mild and that they just feel tired during their course of radiotherapy treatment.
Pallicer continued, saying the association was to begin a campaign this year revolving around the dangers of smoking, the risks of too much sun and prostate cancer, currently the fastest growing cancer amongst men.

More All-Inclusive
The regional managing director of TUI travel, Volker Böttcher, sparked controversy at the ITB International Tourism Fair in Berlin, by demanding more all inclusive hotels on the island. He made the statement while revealing that tourist predictions for the coming season were very similar to 2007. He added that while numbers were, at present, slightly down, the archetypal German tourist visiting the island was changing, with a much more younger traveller now more popular, a group who were prone to booking last-minute, making year-on-year comparisons very difficult. However, he said that the market in general was looking for more all-inclusive establishments, and Ibiza would need to offer extra if it was to continue to remain a popular choice with the German market.
The managing director of Alltours, Peter Wennel, predicted a 2 per cent increase in the number of German arrivals to the island for this summer. However, he agreed with his counterpart and said the island needed to offer more all inclusive beds if it was going to continue to flourish. He also warned hoteliers they would need to start investing more and be more competitive with their pricing if they were going to keep up with Majorca, who were set to receive 6 per cent more Germans in 2008.
The president of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich, claimed he was happy with the forecasts for this summer, adding that he had taken on board what the main tour operators had said concerning more winter activities on the island to try and attract more out of season tourism. He also urged hoteliers to try and remain competitive with their prices to ensure the months of April, May, June and October continued to be busy.

Cold Snap
After several days of glorious spring sunshine winter came back with a vengeance last week as strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday caused several maritime connections to be suspended. On Wednesday morning all journeys to the mainland and Palma were suspended, although, fortunately, the airport remained unaffected. Over the two days winds reaching 85 kilometres an hour gusted across the island, felling several smaller trees and tearing many awnings. However, Ibiza escaped the strongest winds, with Minorca the worst affected, where the airport had to close for several hours on both days.
On the island the winds were accompanied by a drop in temperatures which saw thermometers reach a low of 3.5oC. during Tuesday evening. This fall resulted in a total increase in the consumption of electricity on the island of 18 per cent from the previous week.

Day Centre Promise
On Thursday the Consell Insular announced they would be opening nine more day centres for the elderly, people with mental illnesses and the disabled. The Minister for Social Health Care, Patricia Abascal, recognised there was a lack of services on the island and promised to spend the 4 million, recently granted by Central Government, on new care centres. She said they would be opened proportionately over the next four years, and that their locations would be decided over the course of the year, according to the necessities of the population. However, she did reveal that the Civic Centres in Santa Innes and San Mateu would both be used.
There are currently just four centres on the island, pitifully few for the demand. Those currently in operation include the residency in Cas Serres, and the new centre in Can Blai. Abascal pointed out that having more days centres available would ensure that the elderly would be able to live at home for much longer, benefiting the state in the long term.
The comments came as the minister marked the first anniversary of the new centre in Santa Eulalia for Alzheimer sufferers and other diseases of dementia, Can Blai. She admitted there had been problems during the first year, not only with basic installations, but chiefly with staff morale. She added that the degree of distrust currently shown by the families of residents was understandable, but something which they would slowly start to put right.

Prats Stands Firm
The under-fire Minister for Transport, Albert Prats, stood his ground last week and promised there would be no change of heart concerning the temporary taxi licences to be issued this summer. All of the taxis on the island are currently on a permanent strike after the Consell Insular rushed through new legislation which is to grant 136 new permits for this summer. Each will run for a total of two months in two separate date-bands starting in July, ending in September and overlapping in August.
The Taxi Association on the island announced at the beginning of the week they had hired a lawyer who was to negotiate with Prats. After the latter did not budge his stance, they brought in the big guns in the shape of the president of the Taxi Association for the whole of Spain, Jose Artemio Ardura. He again met with the minister and after no agreement could be reached, claimed a national strike was not out of the question in trying to resolve the matter. He said the actions of the Consell were completely illegal, and threatened the entire industry right across the country. He gave the minister just three days to change his mind, a threat which again was given short shrift by Prats.
During the first days of the strike there were very few taxis on duty in the capital, with ranks left deserted. In the other municipalities similar scenes were the norm, although San Jose Town Hall quickly agreed a minimum service with drivers. To counteract the lack of taxis the Consell confirmed they would be increasing the bus service around the island, with the Airport-Ibiza Town service doubling from seven to fourteen trips per day, as did the Santa Eulalia-es Canar route. The few hotels that were open reported customers had started to complain about the lack of service, with many hotel staff forced to ferry people to and from the airport.
The Association in Ibiza Town, led by their president, Jose Serafin, made it clear they would not be abiding by the minimum service normally required during times of strike. They said they would be operating an emergency service to ensure the elderly and sick were attended, but not many others. They were working out of a secret location to avoid reprisals from angry citizens, although Serafin claimed to have the backing of the majority of the public.
The Town Hall of Ibiza was quick to react to the lack of a minimum service. They declared at least 50 per cent of the fleet should be working. This equates to a total of thirteen taxis per eight-hour shift, making a total of 40 throughout the day. The Councillor in charge of public transport, Joan Rubio, said he would begin an investigation into the lack of vehicles and that those found guilty would be fined between 1,300 and 2,600. He said the licence owners were running a public service, and had only been granted the concession to run a licence, a privilege that could be taken away at any time.
However, news from the Consell over the weekend gave fresh hope the strike action would soon be called off. Although nothing was yet absolutely clear, the Consell announced they had received just 133 applications for the licences, 94 from current licence owners and the remainder from drivers. It was hoped these figures would placate the licence owners and convince them to call an end to the action which has caused considerable inconvenience over the last few days. They had originally demanded all of the permits, a stance which the Consell deemed as undemocratic. However, sources were quick to point out that there were still two days left for applications to be received (the official deadline was Monday), and many more last minute requests were expected.

Oh Buoy!
The Ministry for the Environment at the Govern Balear announced last week that visitors would now be able to reserve the ecological buoys situated in the more popular coastal areas of the island via the internet. The buoys, created in 2000, ensure that vessels do not have to cast off their anchor when mooring off the coast, an action which has been blamed, in some parts, for the deterioration of the sea bed. There are a total of 39 buoys in ses Salinas, 26 in calo de s´Oli and 51 in s´Espalmador, just off the northern tip of Formentera. The buoys are available from 1st June-30th September and were used by a total of 13,000 boats last year. Reservations can be made on their website at http://lifeposidonia.caib.es or by calling 902 422 425.

IBIZA TOWN

SAN ANTONIO

School Delay
The mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala, was left seething last week after a report from the Balearic Environmental Commission claimed the new elementary school in sa Serra would not be able to open until problems at the nearby water purifier had been fixed. The report, which was released last weekend, stated that the current odour problems at the municipalitys purifier, combined with traffic problems, could mean a delay in the opening of the new school. Sala said he was bemused by the review which had been carried out by the same specialists who had written a positive report for both the old peoples home and the secondary school in the area. He said if there was indeed a problem, it should have come up during the investigation into the suitability of both these buildings.
Sala continued by saying the purifier had not emitted bad smells for at least two years, and even if there was something to be fixed, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Govern Balear. He added that he thought the negative findings were politically based, claiming the only ones who would suffer as a result of the delay would be local residents.
He said as far as the traffic problem in the area was concerned, that would also need to be fixed by the Govern, although he could not see the complication as the only streets close to the school were access roads.

SAN JOSE

Plans Begin
Two architects working for San Jose Town Hall were finally able to gain access to the controversial house in Puig d´en Serra, which is due to be demolished this year. The house was declared illegal last year after being built on protected land. The two specialists were able to gain entry to the house to begin drawing up the plans for its demolition after receiving a court order. The proprietor of the villa was there to meet the architects with her lawyer, but there was nothing either could do to avoid them entering the property. Both had previously been denied access when they had tried to enter the property back in November 2007.
The Puig d´en Serra case resulted in the former mayor of San Jose, Jose Serra Escandell, having to stand trial with several of his Council members. They were eventually found innocent, although their behaviour in issuing the licence back in 1992 was described as naive.

SANTA EULALIA

Riverside Plans
On Monday the mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, revealed his plans to try and rehabilitate the valley of Puig de Missa. The project will look to rebuild the area, combining footpaths and trails with a water museum and a craft centre. The project is very close to the mayors heart and was one of the reasons he decided to run as mayor of the municipality.
The idea is to create a walkway which will enable pedestrians to go from the urban centre to Puig de Missa without having to cross a road. Mari explained that it was a long term plan, the first stage of which would be to clean the area. The necessary land will be bought and the derelict houses in the valley will be transformed into cultural centres, with the possibility of an art museum being built.
The river, just outside the urban centre, has for some time been seen as the next step in the continued growth of this successful tourist area. It is the only river in the Balearics and, although it remains dry for most of the year, has huge potential.

FORMENTERA

Blackmailer Arrested
A man was arrested in Formentera last week accused of blackmailing girls into stripping naked over the internet. The man gave himself up after members of his family warned him the police had been looking for him. He was said to be co-operating fully with officers.
The arrests took place after police received at least four complaints from girls all across the country who claimed they had been blackmailed by the man to take off their clothes in front of a web-cam. The man infiltrated chat rooms under different pseudonyms and slowly collected personal information about several girls. He then contacted them and said they would have to take off their clothes via the web, if they did not want anything to happen to their loved ones. He then revealed details about their family and friends which he had collected over several months to ensure they felt threatened. It is not known if any other cases will emerge during the investigation.
According to police sources, the man defended his actions, which took place three years ago, by saying he had been going through a difficult time in his life.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Judge Asks for More Evidence
The judge ruling in the case over the death of an Irish tourist, who drowned off the coast of San Antonio in 2006, has asked for further investigations to be made into the death. The judge wants to know if the captain of the boat, Capitan Nemo, was informed that two passengers had jumped overboard, before he decides if he then had a legal obligation to turn around and collect the men. If he is found guilty the captain could face several years in jail on charges of manslaughter.
Basile Bourke was found drowned the following morning after failing to make it back to shore. An autopsy on the body found the cause of death was drowning and that the deceased had consumed alcohol and drugs in the hours preceding the incident. The death caused huge media interest in Ireland at the time, as the victim was the nephew of the then Minster of Defence for the Irish Government, Willie O´Dea.
The boat company was criticised for running the trips, which combined drinking with a sunset cruise. The groups met in a bar beforehand and it was not unheard of for several people to board the vessel extremely drunk.

Suspect Pleas
The suspect accused of the murder of Swiss man, Reiner Peter Tino Briner, in Cala Llonga remained in jail throughout the week. The judge dealing with the case announced on Friday that he would be keeping the key witness statements a secret for the time being, until more evidence was collected. However, he made it clear the suspect in the case, 38 year old Daniel Alfred C, had denied any involvement in the murder.

Smuggler on the Mend
A Spanish man remained in hospital during the whole of last week after swallowing half a kilo of hashish as he attempted to smuggle the drug onto the island. The patient was convinced by his brother to seek medical attention after becoming unwell. He was immediately admitted into hospital and given laxatives which enabled him to slowly excrete the small bags naturally. He swallowed a total of 80 bags which took almost an entire week to finally reappear. He was expected to be arrested after being discharged.

Brit Injured
A 59 year old British man was slightly injured on Thursday after he accidentally drove his car down stairs leading to a house in Santa Eulalia. The accident occurred at around 11.15a.m. in calle Ginestas in Siesta, due to the man mistaking first gear for reverse. Although a full medical examination was made at Can Misses, the injured man was discharged later that afternoon.

Prison Sentence
A cleaner was sent to prison for a total of 6 months last week for stealing 900 while working in the Banca March in San Jose late last year. The woman took the money on two separate occasions, whilst carrying out her duties at the branch. She will also have to pay back the total amount pilfered.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Ex-Councillor Murdered
The last day of electoral campaigning was cancelled after the murder of an ex-Councillor in Arrasate-Mondragon, Guipuzcoa. The agreement was reached by all parties in protest against the assassination carried out by the terrorist group, ETA. Isaias Carrasco was shot three times, twice in the back and once, fatally, in the neck as he was leaving his home, accompanied by his wife and one of his three children, in Mondragon at 1.25p.m on Friday. A masked man approached him from behind and fired at least five shots from a 9mm Parabellum pistol, before escaping in a car driven by a companion. The 42 year old man lay on the ground seriously injured whilst his family tried to comfort him. He was rushed to a local hospital where medical staff tried to save his life. However, at 2.45p.m. he was officially pronounced dead.
Carrasco had previously been a member of the local Council, a position which had afforded him a personal bodyguard whilst in public. However since not being re-elected in the last elections, he was stripped of the privilege, as he was not deemed a target. He worked in the area collecting money at the toll booth at a nearby motorway. He was described as a kind and popular man, and was a keen football fan, having coached several local teams.
The Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, condemned the cowardly attack and promised tightened security ahead of the elections, which took place on Sunday. He said it was the right of every citizen in Spain to vote in the democratic elections, and pleaded with everyone to make the effort. He looked visibly stunned on hearing the news of the assassination, just as one of the many electoral campaign meetings was coming to a close in Madrid.
The attack united both the leaders of the countrys two main parties in condemnation, with both claiming that ETA would eventually be defeated.

Road Deaths Drop
The month of February saw the least number of traffic deaths in the countrys history, according to the latest figures from police sources. A total of 161 people lost their lives on the roads, 19 less than the same month last year. So far this year there have been 335 traffic deaths, 17 per cent less than in 2007. The previous record was set in November of last year when 172 people died on the roads.
The decrease was put down to a combination of the points system introduced in July 2006, stricter punishments in dealing with perpetrators and a marketing campaign warning people of the consequences of dangerous driving and not wearing a seatbelt.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Unemployment Up
The deceleration of the construction industry led to a 7.4 per cent rise in unemployment on the island during February, in comparison to the same month of 2007. In total 450 people were made unemployed during the month, 70.2 per cent of whom had been working in construction. The hotel and catering industry made up somewhat for the decline, recording an increase of 181 in the number of workers employed, compared to the same month last year.

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