The National Heritage board, a state agency that supports the Prime Minister's office, is about to authorize the Puerta de Hierro Golf Club to reclassify 14 hectares of public lands in order to build a new nine-hole course not for the benefit of many, but for a small circle of Spanish elite.
The elite club, which has not admitted any new members since 1987, not only went above the law by skipping a required public bid for the land, but it will also cut down 840 pine trees more than 35 years old.
This is yet another abuse promoted by Defense Minister Pedro Morenés, which can only be overruled by Madrid's regional and town governments. But can these smaller bodies of government change a decision made at Moncloa?
