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Today’s political and social debate is increasingly conditioned by polarization. The unrestrained leader of the Western bloc is setting an example with exaggerations and lies. His style has reached our lands.

The new strategy is to place all opinions into only two opposing blocs, in order to try to gain legitimacy among usual followers. At this point, inventing things to feed conspiracy theories poses no problem.

Anyone who does not naturally fit into the constructed groups will be vilified and classified anyway, because remaining outside the rules of the game is a position that creates danger for those who intend to set the norms.

The cultural and social organisations that have long been calling for a non-traumatic solution for the surroundings of Rafal Rubí do not run for elections and have been working for many years, non-profit, for improvements to society. Despite communication manoeuvres to simplify the list of names, joint and transversal work has been carried out, and it shows.

Indeed, UNESCO, the international body that granted the World Heritage designation to the island’s archaeological values, has spoken out in the same sense as these organisations. Yet now its report—clear and forceful—is also being denied, and it is presented as a political manoeuvre (again following the manual), in this case by the Ministry of Culture.

Citizen participation in public debate, through organisations that internally discuss issues and express opinions with the freedom granted in a democracy, is often uncomfortable for certain minds. Some believe that only the political formations that run in elections should express public opinions. But that is not what constitutional texts say.

Choosing confrontation with organised civil society and with an international body may generate headlines that excite the unconditional supporters. But for the more moderate segments of the electorate, it is a cause for reflection and concern.

UNESCO has simply requested in writing that the conditions already established with the declaration of Menorca Talaiòtica be respected. It is not asking for anything new. It only states that the written condition in the documents that the current officials of the Consell went to collect at the summit in Riyadh should not be denied.

Work is currently under way on the improvements to the connection between the airport road and the main road. There are not many links in Menorca with more traffic than this one. And the solution is a level roundabout. For this reason, insisting that the Rafal Rubí junction requires a two-level roundabout, when the frequency of transversal traffic here is comparatively insignificant, undermines technical credibility.

Will Menorca need to suffer international ridicule before things start to move in the offices of Biosfera square? That would be a pity.

Citizen organisations maintain surprisingly high levels of activity and membership on our island. The fact that the main Menorcan institution repeatedly disrespects them and adopts a confrontational stance with international cultural bodies is generating a sense of embarrassment. A greater level of perspective would be desirable.

 

(This text is an adaptation of the original article published by Miquel Camps, as coordinator of territorial policy for the GOB, in the Menorca newspaper on 24/11/2025).