Free Radicals: Mallorca’s other politics

An almighty great row kicked off in Sa Pobla at the end of last month. The cause of the row was the presence of one Laura Riera at a meeting organised by a group called Pinyol Vermell in a bar run by the town hall which is also that used for pensioners in Sa Pobla.

Laura Riera and Pinyol Vermell are? Riera left prison in August last year, having spent nine years inside for collaboration with ETA’s Barcelona unit. Pinyol Vermell (literally red stone) is a youth organisation in Sa Pobla, its membership comprising those with an “independence ideology”. The theme of the meeting was one of anti-repression and of inviting the “democratic state” (of Spain) to improve human rights.

Since the meeting on 29 December, there have been calls for the mayor of Sa Pobla, Joan Comes, to resign, which have been rejected. Comes, for his part, was said to be furious when he learnt that Riera was attending the meeting. He has said that Pinyol Vermell has “had a laugh” at the expense of both the town hall, who agreed to let the organisation have the bar, and the town. He has also withdrawn the grant that Pinyol Vermell gets from the town hall.

As for the meeting itself, reports of what took place are sketchy. It would appear that Riera did not discuss her links with ETA; instead she spoke about herself and her experiences of prison. What has made it more sketchy is the fact that a press photographer was not allowed to take photos, the reasons being that Riera didn’t want them being taken and that Pinyol Vermell was concerned that they might be used to imply some relationship between it and ETA. The organisation has, on its website, stated that it condemns ETA violence.

While this is all something of an embarrassment for Sa Pobla, it isn’t really anything more than this. No offence was committed. But there was more to this meeting than the appearance of Riera. Its timing coincided with the end-of-year celebrations for Jaume I, the same celebrations that saw violence on the streets of Palma, provoked by independence activists.

What one has to ask is whether we are witnessing the emergence of radicalism in Mallorca. Pinyol Vermell has its independence ideology; it is one that it shares with other groups in Mallorca, such as the Obra Cultural Balear. But for every ideology of a distinct type, there is another which opposes it.

While researching the background to Pinyol Vermell, I came across a reference to it on the blog for the MSR in the Balearics. And what is the MSR? The letters stand for Movimiento Social Republicano. It was at those celebrations in Palma – to offer a real alternative to the drive towards independence (its words). If you want a flavour of where it comes from, then the fact that it is associated with the British National Party tells you all you need to know.

The MSR seems to have only recently sprung up in Mallorca. As a party it has existed since the start of the century in Spain and defines its politics in terms of the so-called Third Position, i.e. beyond the politics of left or right but usually considered to be neo-fascist. In its declaration on its blog, it says, among other things, that it defends the languages of the Balearics, such as Mallorquín, and Castilian. It is the same position as that espoused by the local leader of the Partido Popular, José Ramón Bauzá.

While he himself is not extreme, Bauzá’s stance on language can be styled as being so. It is also not without danger, as it gives succour to more extreme views, be they of the MSR or those of the independence movement who flatly reject his opposition to Catalan.

There is a sense in which battle lines are being drawn ahead of local elections this spring which promise to be more interesting than normal. Or should this promise be a threat? There is an intensification of more radical opinion, one to which, knowingly or unknowingly, Pinyol Vermell has added. At a time when ETA – and all that it represents not just in terms of terrorism but also separatism – is on its last legs, it was provocative for it to have invited Riera. She may not have spoken about ETA, but her links were sufficient to raise temperatures. Her mere presence can only have added fuel to the views of groups who oppose independence, such as the MSR.

Politics in Mallorca are many things, but extreme is not one of them. Until now. This may be the year when politics get a bit tasty.

Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.

Palma bombs

Two bombs in bar-restaurants in Palma. No injuries. A third has gone off in the Plaza Mayor. There was a call purporting to come from ETA. The chief prosecutor for the Balearics believes that this indicates the likelihood of there being an ETA group on the island.

Suspicious Minds

Right, let’s get back to something resembling normality – after a fashion. Or maybe not. The tension post-Palmanova was reflected on Saturday by the closure of roads around the Lago Menor in Puerto Alcúdia when a “suspicious package” was discovered. Nothing came of it of course. As ever after incidents anything looks like it might be packed with explosives. A problem is that there are any number of things that might qualify as suspicious – bags of rubbish discarded or all the stuff that just gets left out either for rubbish collection or for people to help themselves to. You could fill a house with what gets plonked on the street. Fridges, televisions, stereos, paintings, doors, drawers, entire patio suites of furniture (in need of restoration), old boilers in cardboard boxes. You name it, you can find it if you drive around long enough. And some of it could well fall into the “suspicious” category, especially suitcases. As for an old boiler, God knows what you could pack into that – a nuclear warhead probably. Reacting to a potentially suspicious bag or some such in the street does rather suggest too heightened a level of paranoia. If someone were of a mind to plant something, there are fairly obvious places to put them – like all the different rubbish containers.

 

And if not suspicious packages, then try the suspicious looking people. One review I read referred to someone that the reviewer thought he or she had seen on “Crimewatch”. Let’s face it, there are some on the loose who should be. Anyway, now we are being told that the ETA terrorists may have had contacts with radical, pro-Catalan youth groups on Mallorca. Indeed the police have in fact previously intercepted correspondence. There is no particular evidence that such a connection existed in respect of Palmanova, but it is one that naturally the police and Guardia are interested in examining, especially as they try to make sense of how a cell might have been able to exist on Mallorca for several weeks and to reconnoitre its targets. It might come as a surprise to learn that there are such groups. Mallorca is hardly a hotbed of revolutionary fervour, but there is a growing Catalan radicalisation. Any such association that may be proved would not help the cause of legitimate and honourable Catalan promotion.

We Haven’t Had That Spirit Here …

“Plucky.” “Dunkirk spirit.” “Bastards.”

There is nothing like a terrorist incident to excite the juices of tabloidism. Let us for Heaven’s sake get Palmanova into proportion. Horrible it may have been, but it simply does not rank in the lists of the truly dreadful. Unusual it may have been for Mallorca, but it was an isolated incident directed at a symbol of the Spanish state.

There is seemingly also nothing like a terrorist incident to excite misinformation and wild rumour. The Chinese whispers have been shouted out. The bomb was at the airport. The airport is closed for days. There are terrorists everywhere, ready to set off further bombs. What if they are about to do something here (as in around Alcúdia)? All of it rubbish. The lockdown of Mallorca for a time and the ongoing police checks are all part of a well-rehearsed contingency plan in the event of an incident. There may have been a lack of vigilance in Palmanova, but there is no lack of foresight in dealing with a terrorist incident. That in itself speaks volumes. The bombing may not have been anticipated, but it was not unexpected. Mallorca may have been spared the terrorist excesses of the peninsula, but it is still Spain; Palma was once widely thought to have been a target for Al-Qaeda, even for Saddam Hussein, which just goes to show the sort of exaggerated garbage that gets trotted out but also the fact that Mallorca has not been excluded in the past from possible attack.

The tabloid reporting has been to an extent sensationalist and out of proportion, but locally it is understandable. Nevertheless, it was “The Sun” what did it with the use of “plucky”. I honestly didn’t believe that the paper did actually use the adjective. I had assumed it was a parody. But no. “Plucky British holidaymakers” were defying the terrorists, blah, blah. These plucky tourists were determined to still be heading for the beaches or the bars, and the Spanish press reported that things in Palmanova were all pretty much normal, yet “The Bulletin” showed a “desolated” beach, suggesting that everyone was staying away, a report that ran counter to others. Who do you believe? ‘Twas ever thus with the press.

Those plucky Brits referred to having lived with the IRA. It’s a tired comparison and justification, but there is some sense to it. And you can chuck in post-9/11 as well. Quite why British tourists should feel the need to cancel holidays or to try and get on the first flight out is unfathomable. Palmanova is, I suppose, a shock for those in Mallorca who have not known terrorism at relative first-hand, such as those of us who have lived in London for example. It is why, I guess, the hyperbole works overtime. Paradise lost. Paradise shattered. All that. Perhaps Palmanova has, though, made people realise that there is such a thing as reality, one that many seem to have forgotten existed or one that they were unaware existed at all. But one keeps coming back to what actually happened. It may sound callous, heartless or as though I am wilfully seeking to understate the significance of the attack, but in the terrorist scheme of things only the location is particularly surprising, the actual attack is not. ETA have made a habit of targetting the Guardia, which is not to suggest that the dead officers should have expected to have been blown up, but there should have been an awareness that a Palmanova could happen. Mallorca had seemed immune because of terrorist logistics, but the fact that there is now talk of there being or having been (for some weeks) an ETA cell on the island and of a safe house does again bring into question the role of intelligence.

Contrary to an impression that has been conveyed, there are not people wandering around weeping, being solemn or in a state of shock. People are talking, of course they are, but often talking in order to tell others to give it all a rest and to stop making more of the incident than it merits. There is also a fair degree of annoyance with the press, not least “The Bulletin” and its ludicrous appeal for a “Dunkirk spirit”. One does actually despair of some of the reaction. It needs to be measured, it needs perspective. It does not need emotional language that serves only to ratchet up feelings and to heighten fears unnecessarily.

Shit happens, even in so-called paradise. They probably called Bali a paradise, and Palmanova does not come anywhere close to that in terms of scale or horror. It can happen and does happen. Anywhere.

Flailing Around

You have to get things into perspective. In terms of atrocity, two police officers dead is not on a grand terrorist scale; two police officers representative of the enemy where ETA is concerned. This was not an atrocity directed at others. That it took place in a tourism centre fuels publicity, which is of course the stuff of the terrorist. It could, though, have been anywhere; it just happened to be Palmanova. Cue the irrelevant and fatuous remarks along the lines of things like that don’t happen there. Of course they do. Things happen, shit happens anywhere. Bombings on Mallorca are far less likely to occur than on the mainland because of the very fact of it being an island, and presenting the terrorist with logistical difficulties, not least of which is the route to escape. As a counter view to this, the “El Mundo” website has polled its visitors and asked them if ETA could count on logistical support in Mallorca – three-quarters say yes. Whatever. That the bombing did occur in Palmanova may have had something to do with the relative proximity down the road of the royal family in summer residence; the Guardia station in Palmanova was probably a soft target compared with ones in Palma. 

 

But the very fact of a terrorist incident is bound to create a burst of discussion – in the media, across a coffee, wherever. Inevitably it does. That such incidents are played out in real time nowadays heightens the sense of shock and, among some, paranoia. But one still needs to retain that sense of perspective. One report – from “The Bulletin” – drew a comparison with the scene in Palmanova with that in New York. This is absurd. It is also dangerous as it creates the wrong sense of perspective, one of a major outrage – a Mumbai, a Madrid, a Bali or of course a World Trade Center. The same report alluded to fears that there might be further bombs. Why would there be? Well, there was one, but ETA does not go around performing mass, co-ordinated attacks in the style of Al-Qaeda. This is a terrorist group flailing around in an attempt to bolster its shot-through organisation. Publicity, concern it has caused, but let’s retain that perspective. The chances of there being another bomb in Mallorca must be considered remote. This does not stop even “The Times” raising the temperature of hyperbole, referring to fears of a “summer of violence”. It ought to know better.

 

After the event, there are questions that need to be asked. The first concerns intelligence and vigilance. Intelligence failures are not uncommon, as one knows from UK experience, but on an island the size of Mallorca one does have to wonder as to how a unit or individual can operate. It is highly unlikely that this was the work of a sleeper or sleepers. In light of the explosion at Burgos and the proximity of the 50 years of ETA’s founding, what level of alert and what procedures were in place at all Guardia installations? The Guardia’s vehicles are commonly parked in the open, on streets in many cases. To have planted a bomb would have meant its being attached under the noses of the Guardia, presumably at night. Where is their own security?

 

There have been conflicting reports as to how the bomb was detonated. By remote control seems most unlikely. Car bombs are now typically attached magnetically and respond to doors being opened, to pedals being pressed or to movement. Rarely are they triggered by the ignition being turned on. The magnetic attachment requires less time as well (and the latest is that this was indeed the style of bomb). One has to presume that the bomb in Palmanova was placed at some time during the night. A further question that arises, therefore, is the time between its being placed and its explosion. This may not be unimportant. If the bomber was looking to ensure that he or she was off the island, he or she would need a fair time frame, one during which he or she could be well away, possibly even back on the peninsula. Were certain vehicles at Palmanova known to be routinely used only at around two in the afternoon? If so, how? It is, however, speculation that the bombers are off the island. Word has it that they are not. 

 

UPDATE (09:30, 01.08)

Well, well, forget some of the above. The vehicle had been used that day – in Palma and then in Calvia. Either the bomb was very well hidden or it was attached in broad daylight. This changes things. If it had been hidden, it would probably have had to have been detonated in a way that was not dependent upon motion or one of the other typical forms of detonation, i.e. remote or possibly with a mobile phone. If it was attached in broad daylight, then there was clearly a failure of security, a fact being accepted in any event. The likelihood is growing that the bombers are still on the island, and checks are being made on flats for rent. The hypothesis is that there was/is a “commando stable” now holed up in a flat, waiting for things to calm down.

Palmanova Bombing / Day By Day

And so ETA has brought its bombs to the tourist areas of Mallorca. It is not the first time that ETA has committed an outrage on the island; the bomb today in Palmanova coincided with the eighteenth anniversary of two car bombings in Palma. It is also fifty years since ETA was formed, a fact that was “celebrated” by the bomb in Burgos. 

 

Two Guardia Civil officers lost their lives in Palmanova; the bomb appears to have been placed under their Nissan Patrol vehicle. The incident occurred outside the offices that serve as post office, local police station and Guardia office – just like in Playa de Muro. The Guardia acted swifty; hotels were closed, residents told not to leave their homes, the airport and ports put on the highest levels of security, i.e. closed, and helicopter and coastal patrols put into full action. While the outrage was a direct attack on the forces of law – as was the case also in Burgos – it was also in a tourist area. That is not a normal modus operandi for ETA; or it had previously had not been. 

 

One supposes that this will all lead some to question whether it is safe to come on holiday. It might be understandable, but it would not make sense. There is no suggestion at all that tourists are targets; indeed the very notion is both extremely remote and extremely unlikely. ETA has a beef with the Spanish state, and the Guardia Civil is a personification of the state as well as being ETA’s “enemy”. The Guardia and the National Police are highly skilled anti-terrorist bodies. Alongside their British police counterparts, they rank as the most adept anti-terrorist forces in Europe; they, like the British security forces, have had a lot of practice.

 

 

Day by day

One of those what-are-we-supposed-to-make-of-these statistical moments, courtesy of the Balearics part of the “El Mundo” website. Tourism spend in the Balearics during June was down four per cent on last June; it equated to 993 euros per person. In the whole of Spain, the two most prominent tourism groups – the British and the Germans – spent on average 773 euros and 974 euros respectively; quite a difference. But as ever with these figures, the reaction is something of a so what. At least these figures do not inspire an incredulous reaction, as they were doing last summer when they seemed to be increasing. If those were genuine, then a 4% slump in the context of the current economic situation doesn’t sound too bad. The trouble with any of them, however, is making sense of what they mean, how they are compiled, what differences there may be between different resorts and so on. Recently, some friends staying in Puerto Alcúdia told me that a daily spend of 100 euros per person was about par for the course. Setting aside costs of accommodation and travel, which one assumes are never included in these spend calculations, 100 per day is probably about right if one spends fairly liberally. At a more basic level of subsistence for food and drink on a daily basis, assuming one meal out at an inexpensive restaurant and a fair amount of alcohol, I would offer you the following:

 

From a main supermarket: bread (freshly-baked) 50 cents, fruit and vegetables 1.50 euros, ham and cheese 1 euro, drinks (2 litres of water, 1 litre of cola, juice, 1 litre of beer, 1 bottle of wine) 10 euros, milk, cereals, margarine and eggs 1.50 euros. 

Meal out with a glass of wine and water – main course and sweet 15 euros, two coffees out 3 euros, four large beers out 12 euros. Total: 44.50 euros.  

 

There are many ways to skin the food and drink cat, but the above might not be unrepresentative. 

 

Elsewhere, i.e. “The Diario”, there is a feature that points to the “alarm” among some hoteliers as to the lack of spend within the hotels themselves. It does support much of what is being said, and makes one rather question the official spend figures. These hoteliers talk of guests buying from supermarkets and making up their lunch snacks in their rooms (and why, pray, shouldn’t they?) or of helping themselves to excessive amounts from the morning buffets for later consumption (hardly a new phenomenon, one would have said). Perhaps more scandalous are those tourists staying all-inclusive who get drinks and then go and sell them on the beach. Nothing like a bit of entrepreneurship, but it is decidedly naughty. Then there is what the tourists have actually spent on their accommodation, very low in some instances with rooms packed with four or five people. And it hacks some hoteliers off that some guests forget that they have paid very little and yet demand a level of quality way beyond that for which they have forked out. 

 

All this and August yet to come, a month of high season but one traditionally that results in a lower relative spend because of the generally higher costs of the original holiday. Overall, it doesn’t sound very clever, does it. And finally, from the Holiday Truths site, one contributor – all-inclusive – says that he spent, get this, 20 euros during his week’s stay. Twenty of your whole euros, everybody. Or 2.01% of that tourism spend figure. Go figure. 

 

 

Without contracts?

And here we go again … The Alternative in Pollensa is to press for the creation of a commission to study what he believes to be a state of chaos at the town hall. This stems, says “The Diario”, from the fact that some half a million euros worth of services provided to the town hall is not actually contracted, or so says Pepe Garcia, who is having this all checked out by his lawyer apparently. He argues that those firms without contracts have not submitted the correct documentation or bona fides; they include, for example, the company that maintains lighting in the port. The mayor naturally begs to differ, saying that there may be some instances of not all work being covered by contracts, but that all is overseen and supervised by council technical staff.