La Linea 100x00 pushes ahead with ‘Autonomous City’ plan

La Linea this week took another step in its campaign to turn the municipality into an Autonomous City along the lines of Ceuta or Melilla.

La Linea 100x100, the party that currently holds office in the city council, unanimously approved a motion at a meeting on Monday in support of the proposal and calling for a report to be presented to the Spanish Government requesting a vote on the change.

The report would first have to be approved by the city council and subsequently by Spain’s Council of Ministers, which would then have to decide whether to approve a vote on a change to the city’s status.

“Party members of La Linea 100x100 want to intensify efforts so that the process is as swift as possible,” the party said in a statement.

The party agreed to set up two parallel initiatives, the first within the party itself to inform the public about the proposal.

“This will be grassroots work that must be led y the people of La Linea,” said Juan Franco, the mayor of La Linea, where La Linea 100x100 holds an overwhelming majority in the council.

Separately, the council itself will prepare legal studies in support of the Autonomous City proposal.

The party wants to move fast on the proposal and its aim is two hold a second meeting in February to ascertain progress.

The campaign coincides with La Linea’s 150th anniversary this year.

Obtaining status as an Autonomous City would give La Linea greater competence in key issues such as urban planning, health and tourism, as well as the special fiscal status that the city has spent years clamouring for.

But while the proposal has strong backing at local political level, it would have to overcome significant hurdles nationally in Spain if it was to become a reality.