Tribune. We love the mountains. We love the Pyrenees. We love our Pyrenean mountains. We want them to remain alive, preserved, attractive. This is why we call for a common, trans-Pyrenean reflection to begin on the united future of our Andorran, Catalan and Occitan territories. That is why we are asking that the international airport project, presented by the Andorran Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday March 16, be abandoned.
The establishment of this infrastructure, at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters, would have irreversible repercussions on mountain flora and fauna, the survival of which is already made complicated by the artificialization of the soil and the evolution of the climate. It is a question of “compensating” for the destruction of wetlands to build a track which will have to be heated in winter.
We are talking about landings and take-offs, the sound impact of which, in the valleys overflown, will degrade the quality of life of inhabitants, residents and vacationers. It is neither reasonable nor acceptable. This is not acceptable, as is the expected economic model to guarantee the viability of this airport. Attracting customers whose consumption habits are not sustainable has no future.
For a concerted development of our territories
Crossing half the planet for a few days of skiing monopolizes resources which are scarce, which must be shared: otherwise, it is everyone’s right to travel, to vacation, that we must reconsider. We understand, of course, that the Andorran economy must diversify. And no longer depends, in the long term, on its favorable taxation on tobacco, alcohol, and the flow of one-day visitors, from Spain and France, as it generates – not without pollution.
But wouldn’t making the principality a destination for wealthy clienteles risk turning the country into a product? To worsen real estate speculation and inequalities between a wealthy caste and an army at their service of servants, drivers, butlers no longer even managing to find accommodation there?
We also understand that the modalities of access to Andorra are a matter of concern and that solutions to its opening up are sought. But precisely: rather than attempting to free oneself from geography by ignoring the reliefs, why not choose to work, without anyone losing their sovereignty, on a concerted development of our territories which we can clearly see, with regard to the challenges ahead of us, interdependence?
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