The PP, in an empty European Parliament during a debate on DANA: “Is Ribera going to be awarded when there are bodies under the mud?”

The PP of Alberto Núñez Feijóo has found in DANA the new excuse to attack Teresa Ribera, the Spanish candidate for one of the vice-presidencies of the European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen, and has elevated that battle to the European Parliament. After a tense examination of the Spanish candidate this Tuesday before the corresponding parliamentary commissions that must evaluate her, in which the PP even hinted that she will have to be held accountable in court, despite the fact that there is no open procedure, the popular MEPs have redoubled their offensive during a debate on the catastrophe that was previously planned at the request of Compromís before an empty chamber.

That the chamber of the European Parliament is practically empty during the plenary sessions is common, but in this case the EPP has made the management of the DANA a casus belli against Ribera that has unleashed a political crisis that threatens even the majority that until now supports the European coalition.

“I highlight the terrible contradiction that we commit by devoting ourselves to mourning the deaths at the same time in the next room we reward with a vice-presidency of the European Commission to the minister who in the Government of Spain is responsible for floods,” said the MEP. Esteban González Pons: “With all due consideration, but with a heavy heart and as a Valencian, I ask the Socialist Group to have the sensitivity to propose another candidate.” The demand, which Feijóo had verbalized this morning, occurs despite the fact that Von der Leyen, who is from the same political family, maintains intact her support for Ribera as vice president of Competition and Fair and Clean Transition for her new cabinet.

“Is the competent minister precisely going to be awarded when there are still unrecovered bodies under the mud?” he questioned the chamber in which there were barely a handful of representatives using the victims for political purposes before asking himself: “Only I see immorality?” What González Pons has recognized is that “the institutions have not been up to the task of the disaster” in general terms.

However, Feijóo’s PP has placed Ribera in Brussels as practically the only one responsible for managing the crisis, despite the fact that control corresponds to the regional authorities, exporting the national debate, something to which MEPs are already accustomed. from the rest of Europe. “He has abdicated all his powers, he is responsible for the preparation, prevention and response of a climate disaster,” reinforced the spokesperson, Dolors Montserrat, who assured that DANA “invalidates its future in Europe.”

In the midst of tension in the coalition that supports Von der Leyen precisely because of the EPP’s threat to Ribera’s appointment, the head of the socialist group at the European level, the Spanish Iratxe García, has accused the right of “politicizing the tragedy.” ”. “Just yesterday they had the audacity to accuse Teresa Ribera of being responsible for the management of DANA with the sole cowardly objective of hiding their own errors,” he reproached the PP after remembering that the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, was absent and untraceable at a meal when the situation was complicated and that his Government ignored the alerts.

“I feel very ashamed that pain is used in a partisan way, that the death of more than 200 people is used,” recriminated the Compromís MEP, Vicent Marzà, who recalled that the “Valencian people” know who the “ guilty”. Thus, he has asked the conservatives to remove Mazón from power: “He is responsible for the human victims.” He has also addressed the PSOE, reminding them that the help did not arrive “on time.” “Although the powers are clear, we need help to arrive at the first moment,” criticized Marzà, who believes that Mazón should have been removed from command. “We have been abandoned,” concluded Marzà, who asked the EU not to abandon the Valencians.

“The PP has carried out an incompetent and murderous management,” said Podemos parliamentarian Irene Montero, who has assured that “the PP’s management has cost lives.” He has also defended that now the “priority is to build a strong social shield” and has taken the opportunity to attack the socialists for “agreeing” on a new mandate with Von der Leyen.

“Valencians do not deserve the embarrassing spectacle that we have seen for two weeks and two days in this Parliament. I feel ashamed. Don’t you feel ashamed of using this misfortune for politics? Given the negligence of Mazón and his Government and the embarrassing climate change denialist speeches and the hoaxes of the extreme right, our response can only be a social shield,” added Sumar MEP Estrella Galán.

Denying that climate change was responsible for DANA is what Vox spokesperson Jorge Buxadé has done: “Foolish politicians like Ursula, Sánchez, Teresa Ribera, Iratxe García say that climate change is to blame. “Any Spaniard knows that torrential rains and floods in the east are periodic and what is missing is infrastructure.” The extreme right MEP has assured that “what kills is not declaring a national emergency” as a reproach to the central Executive.