Mrs. Doubtfire's Doubtful Dismissal

Now let's see. During the Antich government it was tourism which supplied the ministerial revolving door. No sooner had one been sacked or carted off under the watchful gaze of the legal system than in came another and rapidly also headed for  the exit. The Bauzá regime never knowingly did anything by halves, hence it doubled the number of troubled ministries. Education and health both notched up three ministers.

Things in this regard have been relatively calm for Francina. Had been calm. There was a reshuffle brought about through ill health (Joan Boned), but otherwise ministerial stable doors have been reasonably stable and bolted. However, lurking in the pact has been a ministry of which no one is quite certain what it actually does. Above all, allegedly, it is one for transparency. Or not transparency.

You may recall that this (along with culture, sport and God knows what else) was the domain of Esperança Camps. You don't recall? Well, you're forgiven because no one does. Indeed, no one was aware that she was actually a minister. She took transparency to the extreme by being invisible, so much so that the Mésites (she was one such) were forced into recommending her removal. Francina duly obliged with the P45.

With all hope having evaporated for Esperança, the Mésites scoured the Menorca landscape (the quota system demanded a Menorcan) and plucked out Mrs. Doubtfire, otherwise known as Ruth Mateu. Mrs. D. would prove to be transparent, they trusted, even if you couldn't see through her. She certainly was more visible, which isn't quite the same thing as being transparent. Aware of Esperança's non-materialisation, Mrs. D. was rarely not to be seen. Alas, we won't be seeing anything more of her.

It's all to do with contracts, the transparent or opaque nature thereof. On the list of contracts awarded by Mésites to their friendly consultant Jaume Garau (now himself excommunicated by Més) were two for the transparency ministry. Because Mrs. D. was in charge of transparency (whatever this means), she had to be seen to be whiter than white. Or so transparent that you wouldn't really know she was there. Wherever there was. So rather like Esperança.

There is, how might one suggest this, an element of convenience with her demise, which was either a sacking or a resignation, depending on which version you prefer. The transparency portfolio has offered a neat solution to attempt to head off the "crisis" which has surrounded the Mésites because of the contracts but which has only served to generate a greater crisis. There was not transparency with the contracts, therefore the transparency minister had to fall on her sword or have it thrush into her.

She was dispensable. Which is not the case with Biel Barceló or Vince Vidal. These two occupy important ministries, and ones that are not obscure in terms of what is done: tourism and environment, rather than transparency. And on the principle of last one in, first one out, it was Mrs. D. who was for the chop. The Mésites in Menorca were bloody furious. Mrs. D. had been hung out to dry. Transparent? There was nothing left of her. They had a point, and so they duly took their bats home and said bye, bye to Francina and her government. So long, Ruth, I think you deserve some sympathy.