Housing & Economic Diversification are the key topics as EFA President visits Més per Menorca

In her visit to the island, she explained that “Territories like Menorca can be a reference for transforming politics at a European level.”

Today EFA President Lorena López de Lacalle is in Menorca to visit EFA member party Més per Menorca and to outline ways to work together on key issues for the Menorcan people, specifically on housing and economic diversification. The party’s International Officer Damià Moll and Party Leader Miquel Àngel Maria welcomed her to the island for meetings and a press conference on the cooperation between EFA and Més per Menorca.

Contributing to work at a European level

Since joining EFA in May 2022, Més per Menorca, the only party from the island to have representation in a European Political Party, has already played a vital role in EFA’s work through their participation in the EFA Islands forum and EFA Women’s Forum. The party has contributed best practices and local initiatives from Menorca to debates on building a European Islands strategy with EFA partners from across Europe.

Menorca is Europe

During the press conference Party Leader, Miquel Àngel Maria outlined the purpose of today’s visit: “This visit has a clear objective, sharing Més per Menorca’s political objectives with EFA’s European objectives because Europe must be built upwards”.

“Menorca is Europe, therefore (….) we work together from the perspective of multi-level governance to ensure that the most important issues for Menorca are presented to the European Institutions to influence them to take into account local realities”.

One of Més per Menorca’s key policy proposals is to work on access to housing for Menorcans by limiting the purchase of property by non-residents. Such a move requires changes in European legislation, which shows why having a voice in a European Political Party is important for local decision-making.

Combining work at the local and European level

Miquel Àngel Maria outlined the role the Més per Menorca – EFA partnership plays in developing policies at a local level that require European-level changes:

“EFA is the launching point at the European Institutions to pursue this strategy on island communities, and we (Més per Menorca) will continue to work together with them and others, especially through the EFA Islands forum, in which we have participated from the outset with parties such as Femu a Corsica with whom we share this objective of limiting the purchase of homes on our islands by non-residents.”

EU Democratic Reform is needed

In her contribution to today’s press conference EFA President Lorena López de Lacalle outlined the need for democratic reform of the EU:

“The need to reform the EU to one which is more democratic, transparent, closer to people where citizens are at the centre of decision-making is vital”.

A stronger Europe at all levels

“We need a Europe of strong territories, that starts by building a stronger Europe at the local, municipal, and regional level.

“Decentralisation will be key in transforming public administration because territories like Menorca can be the reference for transforming politics at a European level.”

Islands must have a voice in Europe

Expanding on the work of the Islands Forum, the EFA president outlined why the forum is so important:

“Islands must have a voice in Europe, in EFA we are working for the inclusion of the Island Factor in all policies and strategies mandated by the European Union. Island regions of the EU represent a population of more than 20 million inhabitants, 4.6% of the total EU population. Our Islands Forum brings parties together to exchange good practices, join forces and better defend our interests”.