Dear Members, dear Supporters, dear Residents of Planas del Rey,
Our association, active since 2009 in improving the situation in Planas, is an apolitical association. This is clearly stated in its bylaws.
But this time, we must step out of this reserve. Because what is happening today in Pratdip goes beyond political divisions.
A political power grab
The two former political rivals in Pratdip, the PSC and the PDeCAT, have formed a coalition called “Junts per Pratdip.”
These parties, historically opposed to the application of the law in Planas, notably include:
- The outgoing mayor Joan Rovira Vernet
- His new ally José-Maria Rovira, former deputy mayor under Josep Montané
In Pratdip, a remote area of Catalonia, a small group of officials is preparing an openly discriminatory local government.
A municipal “apartheid”
This political group wants to institutionalize a division between:
- “Those from above” — residents of the center of Pratdip, Catalans by ancestry
- “Those from below” — residents of the urbanizations (Planas, Santa Marina, Les Sorts), mostly made up of Europeans from abroad: English, Belgians, French, Germans, Dutch… but also Spaniards and Catalans who recently settled
This view of society, based on people’s origins, is driven by xenophobic and racist motivations.
If you think we’re exaggerating, listen to the interview with Mayor Joan Rovira on Radio Ciutat.
The myth of the private urbanization
To justify this “new order,” they keep repeating an old myth: “Planas is a private urbanization.”
But this is false. The EUCC was never a voluntary homeowners’ association, but an entity imposed in 1987 by the Municipality of Pratdip — for a period of only 5 years.
And since then, the judges in Barcelona have ruled: in July 2016, the EUCC was dissolved by court order.
This ruling raises a serious question: for over 20 years, our property tax money (IBI) was misused for the benefit of an illegal entity and those who maintained it.
Sooner or later, this issue must be raised legally — in Spain or before a European court.
European law is clear
Racism and xenophobia are fought against by:
- The Generalitat of Catalonia
- The Spanish government
- The member states of the European Union
- The European Commission
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, signed by Spain, clearly prohibits any discrimination based on nationality:
Article 21 — Non-discrimination: “Any discrimination based on […] nationality shall be prohibited.”
Another path is possible
In response to this drift, there is an alternative: to build a shared future between the people of Pratdip and those of the urbanizations, based on peace, cooperation, and quality of life.
This vision is supported by one list only: AVANÇA PRATDIP.
Our association gives its clear and unequivocal support to this list, which defends our rights and values.
We must block “Junts per Pratdip” and prevent the rise of a government based on exclusion.
Residents of Planas, let’s mobilize: vote en masse for AVANÇA PRATDIP, the only list that defends our shared future.
Gérard Marais
For the association Vecinos de Planes del Rei (SOS Planas)
