The mayor of the city of Béjar, in Salamanca, Luis Francisco Martín, expressed this Thursday his “deep discomfort” in the face of the insults and disqualifications uttered to him during the last municipal plenary session, held on Monday, the socialist councilor José Luis Rodríguez Celador, who called him a “ballast clown”, “little character” and “stupid bird” during his last intervention and for which he was expelled.
In a statement sent to Ical, the councilor recalls that Rodríguez Celador is a bank employee and has extensive political experience, both in government and in opposition, which is why he was surprised by certain expressions that, at his opinion, lack respect for the institution and his person and the citizens of Béjar and, as he denounced, “they are totally unacceptable politically”. “Politics must be a space for constructive dialogue and respectful debate, and not a scene of offense and disqualification,” he added.
According to the mayor’s own account, after three warnings For lack of respect for his authority, he made the decision to expel Councilor Rodríguez Celador from the plenary session. “This action was necessary to preserve the order and dignity of the democratic debate,” he said, expressing concern that his fellow opposition councilors decided to leave the room to support the councilor of the PSOE. “This act not only reinforces a culture of disrespect, but also tarnishes the image of the work we all must do for the benefit of our community,” he argued.
According to Luis Francisco Martín, it is “fundamental” that public representatives act “with responsibility and education”, being aware that their words and actions have a “direct impact” on the perception that citizens have of their institutions. “As mayor, I reiterate my commitment to respect and cordiality in all political interactions,” he stressed, calling on all political groups to “work together to promote a constructive environment where mutual respect and where differences are resolved with haughtiness”.
The mayor concluded by assuring that citizens deserve representatives who act with integrity and responsibility. “I hope that this incident will be an opportunity to reflect on our behavior and work towards a future where respect will be the norm in our political sphere,” he concluded.
