A new term in office begins for socialist mayor

PALMA has this week welcomed Jose Hila as the new socialist mayor of the city thanks to a pact drawn up by the PSOE, MES and Som Palma parties.
Former mayor and leader of the conservative Partido Popular party in the Balearic Islands, Mateo Isern, did not present his candidacy for the May 24 elections due to a lack of support from the municipal and regional branches of his party.
The new local government is made up of the socialist party PSOE with six representatives, MES with five and Som Palma (supported by independent party Podemos) also with five. Leader of Som Palma, Miquel Comas, has been appointed as municipal spokesperson for the next term in office.
The PP will make up the opposition with nine seats, led by Margalida Duran, together with Ciudadanos, with four representatives.
The new mayor of Palma, the third socialist to ever govern Palma after Ramon Aquilo and Aina Calvo, was born in the district of Son Gotleu in 1972, and studied economics.
“I commit to working towards the transformation of the city under the traditional values of progress which continue to be freedom, equality and social justice and the 21st century values which are participation, transparency and respectful coexistence,” said Mr Hila during his investiture speech.