The Partido Popular in the Balearic Islands submitted on 10 September 2026 to the Parlament de les Illes Balears 16 amendments to the Ley de Capitalidad de Palma . The central proposal is to include the creation of a Área Metropolitana de Palma in the law. The Govern de les Illes Balears would then be required to initiate the legal and organisational steps for a metropolitan area within no more than two years. The municipalities of Palma, Calvià, Marratxí and Llucmajor; the Consell de Mallorca would be involved in the process.
The Partido Popular argues that mobility, infrastructure and some public services extend beyond Palma’s municipal boundaries. A structure spanning several municipalities would coordinate planning and operations more efficiently. The proposal would add a clear mandate for inter-municipal governance to the existing Ley de Capitalidad de Palma from 2006.
Other Partido Popular proposals concern the organisation of the city administration. They include the formal introduction of deputy mayor posts in the Ayuntamiento de Palma, the establishment of a Consejo Jurídico Técnico de Palma and the creation of a municipal Agencia de Urbanismo to bring together planning and housing responsibilities. The proposals also include provisions for coordination with regional housing and social legislation.
As things stand, the submitted texts leave open how responsibilities, funding and governance would be divided in a future metropolitan area. These points are to be clarified during the parliamentary process. In any case, the amendments must be approved by parliament before they can be implemented.
The proposals come against the backdrop of a debate that has been under way for years in Mallorca about how transport, housing and spatial planning in the greater Palma area can be better coordinated. The proposed amendment to the Ley de Capitalidad de Palma would, for the first time, establish a time-bound mandate for implementation. The Consell de Mallorca and the municipalities concerned would therefore be more closely involved in drawing up an inter-municipal framework.
No new decisions on the timetable for parliamentary consideration had been announced by Thursday. The amendments may be changed before the vote.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).