Andorra Minister Urges Festival Alcohol Limits After Escaldes Disturbances

Andorra's Interior Minister Ester Molné has urged parish councils and festival organizers to scale back major events, restrict alcohol sales well before closing times, and introduce entry controls to avert public order issues.

Her comments came after overnight disturbances at the Escaldes-Engordany festival, which the Unió Pro-Turisme suspended roughly an hour early. Molné defended the police deployment as effective, leading to two separate arrests she described as isolated incidents. She emphasized that no large-scale brawl or knife fight occurred.

Police detained one man for brandishing a six-centimetre knife blade during an altercation. In the second case, officers arrested a young man from La Seu d'Urgell—who had ignored two government expulsion orders—following a report of chemical needling against an 18-year-old woman. She underwent hospital checks and medical monitoring under protocol, with no wounds found and no sharp object recovered from the suspect. Toxicology tests on the woman are pending, and he remains in custody for defying public authority.

Molné attributed risks to dense late-night crowds and heavy drinking, noting that incidents affecting public safety have objectively declined overall despite larger attendances at festivals. The Health Ministry already recommends stopping alcohol service ahead of event endings, a step she encouraged parishes to adopt alongside measures to reduce overcrowding. "Not only is the government responsible for preventing public order breaches, especially at parish-organized events," she said, calling for more preventive organization rather than additional arrests.

She reiterated support for body cameras on traffic police, subject to legal compliance, as the independent video surveillance commission prepares an urgent meeting to review applications once paperwork is finalized.

No further updates have emerged on the investigations.