Army’s silent ‘coup’ in the Balearics

THE Balearic government has appointed a member of the armed forces to replace an official who quit over a corruption scandal.

Since José Ramón Bauzà led the PP to power 18 months ago, he has named six military men to government posts.

Captain Javier López-Cerón, hitherto commander of the naval base in Maó, Menorca, is the new government delegate to that island. He replaces Antoni Juaneda, a civilian who resigned in October after being subpoenaed as part of an investigation into the illegal funding of the PP with public money.

Mr Bauzà, who is a pharmacist himself, seems to like appointing military men to civilian posts.

The government delegates to Ibiza and Formentera are also soldiers as is the executive president of the Palma Port Authority. So too is the director general of port and airports. The other military appointment was that of a former army band clarinettist, who was appointed administrator of the Balearic Symphonic Orchestra.