Petra council members drive during a video call — opposition criticizes

During the meeting on the economic and financial plan, two members of the municipal administration followed the debate via video conference from the car. An incident that sparked discussion in the small town.

Petra debate: Video conference from the car sparks raised eyebrows

Last Monday afternoon I was still sitting with a coffee in front of the town hall on Calle Major when the topic circulated around the village: Two members of the municipal leadership followed a plenary session via video conferencing — while driving. The broadcast was live on the channel of the local Televisió de Petra.

How it happened

During the extraordinary meeting the agenda was the municipality's economic and financial plan. In the footage you can see the two representatives commenting on proposals with hand signals and taking part in votes. One council member apparently drove without a seat belt, the other wore headphones during the drive.

Més per Petra, the only opposition faction, reacted sharply: In a statement they spoke of a lack of respect for the parliament and the citizens. One cannot treat such an important issue with this level of casualness, they said.

Legal and safety aspects

Traffic rules explicitly prohibit making video calls while driving — the distraction is significant, according to road safety experts. Headphones can help keep hands free, but they also restrict awareness of the road traffic.

In Petra, a municipality with just over 2,600 inhabitants, each such scene quickly becomes a topic of discussion. The administration has been in a coalition since 2019; the two people in the footage belong to the governing group. A statement from the town hall was not available as of editorial deadline — it was said only that the matter would be reviewed internally.

How the neighborhood reacted

“If it's just a quick look at the numbers, it's not the same as sitting attentively in a meeting,” a neighbor who often strolls by the town hall told me. An older couple dryly remarked: “Earlier people preferred to pick up a pen and take notes.”

Whether a formal procedure or an apology will follow remains to be seen. One thing is clear: In a village like Petra, such images linger longer — not only in the town council meeting but also in the people's trust in their representatives.

Background: Petra lies in the island interior of Mallorca and is known for its quiet main street and weekly markets. Video broadcasts of municipal council meetings are common in many places, but live streaming makes mistakes especially visible.