Unió Mallorquina - It's A Family Affair

It just gets better. Or worse, if you happen to be one of those implicated in the Son Oms case. Not only is it getting better, it is dragging in some bizarre elements, like for example an heir to the Bulgarian throne. Didn't know there was one? No, nor did I. But there is. Kyril of Bulgaria, as he is known. And how, you may ask, does some prince or other from an all-but-defunct royal family get embroiled in what "El Mundo" is calling the biggest scandal of political corruption in the history of the Balearics (which in itself probably takes some doing)? Well, you have to realise to whom Kyril is married, albeit they have not long separated. The missus? Her name is Rosario, Rosario Nadal. Sounds familiar? Dead right. She is the cousin of Miquel Nadal, the now ex-tourism minister.

Though not directly related to the Son Oms case, the police are raking through all manner of stuff, one aspect being the purchase of a finca in Llucmajor, a purchase made by Kyril and Rosario, for which Miquel Nadal and his law firm acted. The investigators want to know why nearly 3 million euros were paid for land, the value of which had seemingly increased by around 700%. They are also keen to know about movements of money allegedly involving tax havens. Miquel Nadal's firm coined some 370 grand as a consequence of this purchase. The authorities are following different lines of enquiry, one is that the land was bought speculatively as it could have been subject to some development, another - and this is where it gets even stranger - is that the finca could have somehow been to the benefit of the Unió Mallorquina party in the construction of the golf course in Campos. I confess that I have got lost; I'm not entirely sure how this might all have benefited the UM, but the authorities clearly seemed to believe that it might have done, though now they are backtracking on this theory, given the distance between the finca and the golf course that was planned for Son Baco in neighbouring Campos. Kyril, for his part, is denying that there is anything wrong.


With all the flak flying around, it was inevitable - as I had suggested by saying his position had become untenable - that Nadal should have resigned, which he did yesterday. This might just be enough to hold the coalition regional government in place, though President Antich has announced that the current pact with the UM will be broken, meaning a likely teaming up with the Partido Popular, despite the fact that his party (the PSOE socialists) and the PP are poles apart politically. Another option, that of an election, is also being touted, not least by "The Bulletin". It could be necessary, certainly if a new coalition cannot be established, though I am unconvinced that it would solve anything because the problem runs much deeper.

This is an extraordinary situation. Even by Mallorcan standards, the scandal is potentially immense, and one has to be reminded that, in addition to the last president of the islands being under investigation for a different case, the Son Oms one involves the former leader of the council and two former leaders of the Unió Mallorquina as well as the current one. It doesn't get much worse (or better, if you prefer a bit of corrupt knockabout). Maria Munar, that former leader of the council, was always close to Nadal. He was very much her "boy" when it came to the party leadership succession. Political closeness is one thing, family ties another. Munar's husband has been mentioned, Nadal's wife's cousin has been mentioned, in addition to his own cousin. You begin to see a pattern emerging, one that appears to bring us, not irregularly, to scandals and specifically to the biggest scandal of the lot. It is deeply troubling.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Nadal means Christmas in Catalan, and as there have been suggestions as to, erm, unaccounted money, then there's your black - allegedly. Today's title - simple one for you today.

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