Canary Islands PSOE calls for Tourism Minister’s resignation over “leaking” of decree-law draft “without consensus with residents in tourist areas”

Gustavo Santana, employment spokesperson for the Socialist Parliamentary Group, called Jessica De León, the Canary Islands Government’s Minister for Tourism and Employment, “irresponsible” at the parliamentary Tourism Committee on Friday and called for her resignation. He said she had announced a decree-law to amend the Tourism Act without consensus with residents in tourist areas of the Canary Islands and had “leaked” the draft decree.

Santana accused De León of showing “absolute contempt” for the Parliament of the Canary Islands and political groups by leaking to a media outlet the draft decree-law she intends to approve to amend the Tourism Act, after avoiding questions submitted by the Socialists on the issue during last July’s plenary session.

The Socialist MP said the situation was “even more serious” because the Tourism Department had published a public consultation report in July 2025 on plans to pass a new Tourism Act. More than 700 submissions were made, including on proposals to amend the current concept of a single operating unit, which has caused significant conflict between property owners in tourist areas, the administration and tourism operators.

“The Tourism Department has not had time to pass a new Tourism Act, as it committed to doing at the start of the parliamentary term, and now intends to pass an amendment to the Tourism Act as a Decree-Law of Urgent Necessity, introducing a new concept of a single operating unit. This circumvents democratic procedures for passing such an important measure, even at the cost of breaking social and political consensus,” he said.

Santana said that passing a decree-law would also prevent a bill from completing its passage through the Parliament of the Canary Islands “because there simply isn’t enough time”.

He also alleged that the Tourism Minister, knowing that the Supreme Court must rule on whether the single operating unit is legal, “intends to circumvent” the High Court’s will by changing the law. “What she wants is to buy as much time as possible by creating a different set of facts from the one on which the Spanish courts must rule, in order to meet the demands of tourism businesses, even if that means breaking consensus with everyone affected.”

Santana said the minister should resign if the decree-law is passed, for going back on her word in the regional chamber. At the start of the parliamentary term, she had said tourism regulations should be amended with consensus across society, he said. He also accused her of “making a mockery of Parliament and circumventing the Supreme Court’s will before it has ruled on the concept of a single operating unit”.

For this reason, the Socialist Group says the only way to reach consensus on the problems facing property owners in tourist areas is to admit to consideration the bill it has introduced to amend the Canary Islands Tourism Modernisation and Planning Act. The proposal has been agreed with the Platform of Those Affected by the Tourism Act.

“The Tourism Minister has become an obstacle, and even her government partners no longer trust her, as happened with the Holiday Rental Act,” he said.