La Massana PS calls for public debate on €40m Pal-Arinsal ski link

The local committee of the Social Democratic Party (PS) in La Massana has called for clarity and caution over the comú's intention to invest €40 million in a physical link between the Pal and Arinsal ski areas, urging a public debate with the sectors involved before any decision is taken.

In a statement, the party said the project is not new. It pointed to a 1997 viability study that had already ruled out connecting the two resorts by ski runs, citing unfavourable factors including steep gradients, avalanche risk and a lack of water. It was for that reason that the existing cable car between the two sectors was built instead, the PS said.

The social democrats are asking the comú to publish both the historic reports and the current studies on economic viability, environmental impact and geological risk, so that it can be established what has changed since the conclusions reached in the 1990s. They also want answers on the total projected cost, how the project would be financed and what alternatives have been assessed.

The party highlighted the changing Pyrenean climate, warning that rising temperatures make it essential to assess the project's profitability over the medium and long term before committing such a large sum. Snowmaking can help but requires significant water and energy consumption, the PS noted.

It further expressed concern over irreversible environmental damage and landscape changes that earthworks at high altitude could bring.

The party acknowledged that skiing matters greatly to La Massana, generating jobs, economic activity and opportunities for many families, and said it is not saying "no" to investment in the sector. But it argued that the parish's future does not depend on having more ski slopes alone: it also requires caring for the mountain and offering activities and opportunities throughout the year. Defending the local economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand, it said.

"The mountain is everyone's heritage and there are changes that cannot be undone," the party said, calling on the comú to open a debate with residents and the sectors involved before giving the project definitive approval.