In September, the Balearic Government will start conducting its own opinion surveys. To be launched as a pilot project with a budget allocation of €1 million, a centre for 'Estudis d’Opinió Illes Balears' will subsequently be established.
The government says a key objective will be to analyse the general response of citizens to certain current issues that concern society "and, therefore, also the government".
Vice-President Antoni Costa will be in charge of this project. His department emphasises the importance of measuring public opinion on areas considered to be priorities by the European Parliament - climate change and biodiversity, water management, energy transition, economic and social development, culture, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, access to public services, and migration.
The surveys will help "gauge" needs in these areas and convey these to the Balearic Parliament, the government and islands' councils as well as to Congress in Madrid and the European Parliament.
The government feels it is particularly important to consider issues specific to the Balearics, the European Parliament itself having recognised that the islands have certain disadvantages - limited territory, demographic challenges such as seasonal pressure, small markets, dependence on air and sea transport, and limited productivity based on a few sectors.
There will be up to eight surveys a year, the minimum sample size for which will be 1,500 - 500 in Palma, 500 in the rest of Mallorca, 250 in Menorca and 250 in Ibiza/Formentera.