What has the committee decided?

The Committee for Governance, Autonomous Development and Justice has approved the creation of a subcommittee. Its task will be to examine how an eighth rock for La Graciosa can be incorporated into the coat of arms of the Canary Islands.

The initiative came from PSOE, PP, CC, NC, ASG and the Grupo Mixto (AHI). The vote was passed with 15 votes in favour, with no votes against and no abstentions. Vox did not take part in the vote, as Diario de Lanzarote reports.

The next step is ratification by the plenary of the Parliament of the Canary Islands. No debate is planned for this, as the matter was already dealt with on Tuesday.

Why has La Graciosa been missing from the coat of arms until now?

The current coat of arms shows seven silver islands in the arrangement “two, two, two and one”. They are accompanied by a crown, the band with the motto “Océano” and two dogs, as set out in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands of 1980.

The territorial regulation of 1980 listed the seven large islands. La Graciosa as well as Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste were assigned to Lanzarote; Lobos belongs to Fuerteventura.

The Statute of Autonomy of 2018 distinguishes between the seven islands with their own administration and La Graciosa. The flag and coat of arms were enshrined in the Statute of Autonomy in 1982; however, the description of the coat of arms was later amended, in particular by the Statute of Autonomy of 2018.

Who will be heard in the subcommittee?

Experts from heraldry, history, archive studies and genealogy are expected to give evidence before the subcommittee. Representatives of the population of La Graciosa are also planned, as Diario de Lanzarote reports.

Marcos Bergaz of the PSOE recalled that the Statute of Autonomy was amended in 2018 to give La Graciosa “more recognition”. The island was later also included in the official anthem of the community.

Bergaz said, according to Diario de Lanzarote: “In a plural, democratic, diverse and archipelagic society, the symbols that unite us all are extremely relevant.”

What does this mean for residents and visitors?

According to the information available, the initiative is initially of a symbolic and institutional nature. It changes neither administrative responsibilities nor the legal status of La Graciosa.

For foreign nationals and second-home owners, no changes have been announced regarding residence rights, registration law, taxes, benefits or access requirements. For visitors, too, there are no new rules on prices, ferry connections, permits or protected areas.

A change to the coat of arms would probably require a formal legal procedure. No adopted change, specific draft law or date of entry into force is mentioned in the available sources.

What positions do the parties take?

Cristina Calero of CC spoke of the “certainty that today we are writing a new chapter in the history of the Canary Islands”. This would settle “a historic debt towards our own identity”.

Mónica Muñoz of the PP said the change might “appear small”, but had “an important meaning for our identity as a people”. A coat of arms was not a “mere image or decorative element”.

Carmen Hernández of NC stressed that the change reflected “the true reality of the Canary Islands”: there are eight inhabited islands. Jesús Ramos of ASG argued that everyone should “feel integrated” in the symbols.

What happens next?

The plenary of the Parliament of the Canary Islands still has to ratify the creation of the subcommittee. No date for this vote has been published.

The composition and exact remit of the subcommittee, its timetable, the required legal form and the specific design of a possible new coat of arms remain unclear. It is also open whether a legislative procedure will subsequently be initiated.

The next step is therefore the establishment and work of the parliamentary subcommittee. No further dates had been announced by Wednesday.