Francina Armengol has defended her former Balearic Government's handling of pandemic-era mask procurement, insisting that its actions were “honest and transparent” and taken in the public interest. The president of Spain's Congress of Deputies and general secretary of the PSIB-PSOE made the remarks during a visit to Ibiza on Saturday, 7 November 2026, as renewed scrutiny surrounded contracts awarded during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Armengol, who is also the PSOE's lead candidate for Congress in the Balearic Islands ahead of the 29 November general election, addressed the media outside the party's headquarters in Ibiza. Her visit also included a meeting with hotel housekeeping staff, whose working conditions, health and retirement rights featured prominently in her comments.

Armengol Defends the Mask Procurement Contracts

Armengol's comments came after the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested that three individuals be brought to trial over alleged irregularities involving the purchase of masks by the Balearic and Canary Islands governments during the pandemic.

The individuals named in the prosecution request are Koldo García, former adviser to ex-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos; businessman Víctor de Aldama, linked to the supplier Soluciones de Gestión; and company executive Íñigo Rotaeche.

The prosecutor's allegations include influence peddling and money laundering against García, and bribery and a tax offence against Aldama.

Responding to the latest developments, Armengol said the PSOE had always maintained its position and that the information emerging from the proceedings supported its account of events.

She insisted that her government had acted honestly and transparently, with the intention of serving the public interest during an exceptionally difficult period.

Armengol also stressed that no former Balearic Government official or civil servant from the PSOE had been included in the prosecution's request in this particular investigation.

The distinction is important: the prosecutor has requested that the three individuals named in the case face trial, but the National Court judge must still decide whether to proceed with the request. The absence of former Balearic Government officials from that prosecution request does not, by itself, establish that every aspect of the procurement has been cleared.

Armengol Calls on PP Administrations to Explain Public Payments to Okdiario

During her appearance in Ibiza, Armengol also questioned whether public administrations governed by the People's Party (PP) had directed public money towards the media outlet Okdiario.

She referred to reports concerning the payment of Koldo García's legal defence and argued that PP-led institutions should explain any public funding provided to the publication.

She specifically called on mayors and the president of the Consell d'Eivissa to clarify whether their administrations had made such payments and, if so, to explain the reasons.

Her remarks were questions and political demands for transparency. She did not identify a specific Ibiza authority or provide evidence of a particular payment during the press appearance.

PP Candidate Demands Political Responsibility

The controversy also prompted a response from the PP.

José Vicente Marí, the party's candidate for Congress in the Balearic Islands, called on Armengol to accept political responsibility for the pandemic-era contracts.

He argued that the government she led had accepted the procurement arrangements without sufficient scrutiny and questioned the time taken to pursue the recovery of public money.

Marí also claimed that approximately €4 million remained to be recovered by the Balearic Islands. He demanded further explanations about the contracts and the handling of the financial recovery process.

These statements represent the PP candidate's political criticism of Armengol and her former government.

Meeting with Ibiza's Hotel Housekeeping Staff

Beyond the mask procurement controversy, Armengol's visit included a meeting organised by the Federació Socialista d'Eivissa with hotel housekeeping staff, commonly known as kellys.

The meeting was intended to hear directly from workers about their demands, working conditions and the challenges they face in the hotel sector.

Armengol highlighted measures introduced during her time as president of the Balearic Government, including provisions in the regional Tourism Law requiring hotels to acquire adjustable beds to help prevent occupational illnesses among housekeeping staff.

She criticised what she described as a lack of compliance with these requirements under the current regional administration. She also raised concerns about the absence of workload measurements, which she considers important for ensuring that room attendants can carry out their jobs under acceptable conditions.

The socialist leader called for occupational illnesses associated with housekeeping work to receive greater legal recognition. She also supported the possibility of earlier retirement for workers whose health has been affected by the physical demands of their profession.

Armengol described hotel housekeeping staff as essential to the hospitality industry and argued that their working conditions should receive greater attention.

Milena Herrera Highlights Employment and Workers' Rights

The meeting also included Milena Herrera, the PSOE's candidate for Congress in Ibiza.

Herrera identified employment and working conditions as important issues ahead of the 29 November election.

She cited figures claiming that unemployment in the Balearic Islands had fallen by 5% since Pedro Sánchez became Prime Minister, while recruitment and Social Security registrations had increased by 21%.

She also highlighted the increase in Spain's statutory minimum wage, which she said had risen by 66%, and referred to a further proposed increase of 5%.

Herrera attributed these developments to the policies of the Socialist government. The figures and her interpretation were presented as part of the party's electoral argument.

Armengol Warns About Pensions and Housing

Armengol also used her visit to address pensions and housing, describing both as central concerns for working people.

She criticised what she called a threat from PP and Vox to privatise the pension system, arguing that this would be unfair to people who had spent their working lives contributing to society.

Her comments reflected the PSOE's political criticism of its opponents' pension policies rather than an announcement of an agreed change to the current system.

Housing was another major subject. Armengol said access to affordable accommodation was essential to ensuring that workers could enjoy a decent standard of living.

She argued that governments, particularly the Balearic Government and local councils, needed to take greater responsibility for addressing the housing difficulties affecting residents of Ibiza.

PSOE Backs the General Strike on 11 November

Armengol also expressed the PSOE's support for the general strike scheduled for Wednesday, 11 November.

She called on people in Ibiza to participate, saying the mobilisation should help bring greater attention to housing, workers' rights and the demands being raised by trade unions.

Her visit brought together several issues central to the PSOE's campaign ahead of the November election, including public accountability, employment, working conditions, pensions and access to housing.

The statements also came amid renewed political disagreement over the pandemic-era mask contracts, with Armengol defending the decisions taken by her former government while the PP continued to demand political explanations.