Canary Islands President advances a crucial year for the archipelago

Clavijo Calls for Dialogue to Tackle Challenges and Build a “Canary Islands for the Canarians”

A Call for Understanding, Dialogue and Reason

The president of the autonomous community, Fernando Clavijo, urges “understanding, dialogue and reason” as the foundations for confronting the archipelago’s challenges and advancing the construction of a “Canary Islands for the Canarians.” In his year‑end address, he declares 2026 a “key” year for the islands’ future, expressing confidence that “we will leave the noise behind and focus on what truly matters: improving people’s lives.”

“2025 was marked by political tension and the abandonment that the Canary Islands have suffered from the State. We were left alone with problems that are not only ours.”

Clavijo warns that the “uncertainties” surrounding national and international politics cast a shadow over the islands’ progress in 2026. He frames the response as a “reasoned defence of our land and the protection of our rights,” recalling that “reason over force” and “sanity over tension” have driven decades of growth.

“While Madrid remains entrenched in sterile confrontation, the Canary Islands choose public service and useful politics. While others launch suicidal fights, we work.”

He argues that this commitment to dialogue is essential for the State to honour its commitments to the islands and to confront “bad news from Europe,” namely the EU’s forthcoming financial framework that threatens “possible cuts to the funds that sustain our primary sector.”

Clavijo acknowledges that securing a revision of Brussels’ budget proposal for 2028‑2034 will be “a hard battle, another in our long history of fighting for fair treatment.” Yet he assures that “we will fight with the strength that comes from knowing reason is on our side.” He calls for a united Canarian society to prevent “a death blow to our agriculture, livestock and landscape.”

“No matter how difficult the challenge, I am sure we will succeed, and that success will belong to all the islands.”

Advances in 2025

Clavijo proudly highlights the work carried out in 2025 toward building a “Canary Islands for the Canarians.” He stresses that being Canarian is not only about being born here; it is also about choosing to stay, to work the land, to respect, love and care for it. The archipelago, he adds, “is not built by exclusion.”

Despite national political noise and global geopolitical tension, Clavijo notes that 2025 was not wholly negative and featured “important advances.” Key achievements include:

• Legislative reforms to speed up public and private housing construction.
• Reduced healthcare waiting lists thanks to realistic planning and the hiring of additional staff.
• Early steps to reverse the abandonment of dependent communities.

Economically, the islands closed the year with record employment figures and growth above the national average, a result he attributes to the Canarian productive fabric: self‑employed workers, SMEs, agricultural cooperatives, tourism professionals, technology firms and industry.

“All of Canary society has driven these advances – those who work the land, serve at the windows, teach, heal, research, clean, transport, repair or start businesses. To you, the Canary Islands belong, and this Government works for you.”

Clavijo delivered his message from a palm‑tree farm perched on lava, a symbol of resistance. He described the reconstruction of La Palma as “history, the present and, above all, the future,” built daily with the same tenacity as his ancestors who raised terraces and tended their crops.

State Abandonment

In his speech, the president reiterates that 2025 was marked by political tension and abandonment by the State, noting that “Madrid still does not see the islands clearly on the horizon.” He condemns the continued lack of funding for essential works and infrastructure, emphasizing that Canarians increasingly shoulder the burden with their own revenues and fiscal sacrifices.

He also criticises the State’s failure to address migration pressure on the archipelago, the southern frontier of Europe.

“Once again migration was front‑page news, with thousands of exhausted and desperate people arriving on our coasts, whom we have received with respect and humanity.”

Regarding the broader international context, Clavijo warns that Europe is undergoing changes that “could affect the pillars of democracy and shake the values that have underpinned the greatest period of stability and prosperity in our history.” He cites wars on European soil, genocides, protectionist policies threatening Canarian products, and a resurgence of authoritarian attitudes as alarming trends.

He concludes his year‑end address by calling for understanding to overcome the challenges of 2026:

“I sincerely hope the new year brings us serenity, dialogue and agreements. Let us leave the noise behind and focus on what truly matters: improving people’s lives.”