The administrative offices of the Spanish courts have issued an interlocutory order in favour of the Formentera Council (CiF), objecting to the elimination of 9 staff positions on the island's local police force. The decision opposes a motion filed May 30 by the Spanish state's legal counsel on behalf of the Popular Party (PP) to enforce a February 28 ruling, known as “87/2017”.
In the order, magistrate Núria Ramos endorses the CiF's case, saying: “The court has weighed the different interests and finds that the Formentera Council has both stated and sufficiently documented its arguments”. Likewise, Ramos says, representatives of the national government have not demonstrated that any damages would proceed from failing to implement the [February 28] order. The court ordered Spain's attorney to pay for legal fees associated with the trial.
'PP actions are placing Formentera at risk'
Bartomeu Escandell, the CiF's secretary in charge of the tax office, rural affairs and police, blasted the “double talk” of the conservative party, saying: “In plenary sessions, PP operatives claim Formentera lacks sufficient law enforcement agents, yet they use every means at their disposal to impede the deployment of those resources. The attacks waged by Madrid's Formentera delegation on the new jobs on the police force are an example of that”.
Escandell called requests this year to cut 9 permanent staff even as the state government solicited 5,197 new positions on the national police and Guardia Civil forces “hypocritical” and “irresponsible with respect to our safety on Formentera”.
Escandell continued: “Conservative party officials have got every right to disagree with our administration and members of our party. However, on issues of safety, any serious national government must understand that part of its job is to ensure there are enough police. This is not an issue where Madrid can cut corners”.
Background
The Madrid delegation filed an administrative appeal to block an agreement reached by the CiF on August 22, 2014 calling for applicants for 9 positions on the Formentera local police force.
Administrative court number 1 in Palma dismissed the motion on September 1, 2016. Surprisingly, the PP government in Madrid appealed that ruling. Earlier this year, on February 28, the call for applicants was rescinded, and Madrid requested immediate enforcement of the ruling.
This most recent interlocutory order was issued at the end of July, upholding the Council's calls to block enforcement of the February ruling.
Having worked throughout the afternoon and into the evening on August 10, fire crews of the Formentera Council resumed water removal efforts today after rainfall left parking areas in the ses Salines nature reserve flooded.
When the storm and rains that began August 9 at 8.00pm subsided the morning of August 10, Formentera's fire brigade and local police were left dealing with 10 minor incidents across the island. Five involved flooded storefronts and another five concerned trees that had fallen on country roads and other arterials.
Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer has signed partnerships with four seniors and retirees associations on the island. Under the 12-month deals, the Council will give €24,000 towards maintaining the centres and ongoing services, creating and running projects for the elderly, developing intergenerational workshops and other programmes of interest to the aged in 2017.
Today saw the celebration of the Formentera Council's July plenary session. The meeting brought approval for a proposed measure to partner with the Balearic Islands' department of social services and cooperation in building a care centre for dependent persons on the island.
