The PP of Alberto Núñez Feijóo has put Teresa Ribera in the target, about to be examined this Tuesday in the European Parliament as future vice-president of Competition and Just and Clean Transition. The Spanish delegation had already opposed his candidacy in the first stage of the process, distancing itself from its group at European level, and has now raised its voice against the socialist leader, whom it accuses of inaction in management of DANA at the same time as Génova tries to protect the Valencian president, Carlos Mazón, in the face of doubts about the negligence of the hours preceding the disaster.
“Our colleagues in the European Union know what we think, as do all Spaniards. “We said a long time ago that we considered that Ms. Ribera was not the best candidate and was not the competent person to assume this high responsibility,” said PP spokesperson Borja Sémper during of a press conference during which he also highlighted the management of the DANA in which command returned to the Generalitat Valenciana: “The episodes of the last 15 days only reinforce the rejection of his profile and of his way to act.”
“I have the feeling that the third vice-president is more concerned with being a European commissioner and obtaining the necessary support to achieve this than with assuming her responsibilities,” attacked the parliamentary spokesperson of the PP, Miguel, on Saturday Tellado: “A lot has been said about the agenda of the President of the Generalitat, when the person who sat in the Cecopi was the autonomous government and the Spanish government was very far away: Sánchez in India, Teresa Ribera in Brussels and Paris and the secretary of State for the Environment in Colombia”.
The PP of Feijóo now uses the management of DANA as an argument to oppose Ribera, but it has already criticized the appointment and even voted against its opportunity within the framework of the declaration of interests that Ribera adopted without any problem with the approval of the European PP.
But the Spanish delegation is maneuvering to deal a blow to Pedro Sánchez’s waterline. “The EPP knows our position,” say sources within the leadership. The great unknown is to what extent the rejection of the people of Feijóo can permeate the group led by Manfred Weber, because after all, Ribera is the name that the Spanish government puts on the table of Ursula von der Leyen, who is the one who is responsible for appointing the commissioners.
It was Von der Leyen who decided to give Ribera the Competition portfolio and place her as vice-president, although the distribution of power led to this conundrum given that Spain is the largest country socialist (behind Germany, which does not appoint a commissioner because it has the presidency, even if he comes from the EPP).
The government, for its part, strictly applies its political strategy of not entering into public conflict with the PP or the Generalitat de Valencia. Even the president did not enter this Monday into the fabric of the popular campaign against Teresa Ribera, of which he ardently defended. “The world, Europe and Spain need more Teresas Riberas and fewer Holocaust deniers,” he responded to the press’ question about the Popular Party’s maneuvers in Brussels.
He was also terse in his response about whether he thought his third vice president’s leadership had fallen short in the DANA tragedy. “Yes,” he replied to leave open his opinion on the role played by Carlos Mazón. “There will be time for analyzes and to demand responsibilities, but now we are where we are,” he concluded during his appearance after the Council of Ministers approved a second aid plan .
A problem for the European PP
The rejection of Ribera also carries risks for the EPP itself, which would have to justify the elimination of a candidate – for the moment, all have succeeded, with the exception of the Hungarian, who was invited to respond in writing to the questions. In addition, Spain would have to nominate another person and the process could be delayed beyond December 1. Von der Leyen’s intention is to start work “as soon as possible” due to the “complicated international situation” and the “large number of outstanding issues in Europe”, according to spokesperson Eric Mamer.
This Tuesday, Ribera needs the support of two thirds of the coordinators of the parliamentary committees examining it. Concretely, this means having the “yes” of the EPP, the socialists, the liberals, the greens and the left. The position of the EPP depends fundamentally on what happens to the other candidates, notably that of Giorgia Meloni, Raffaele Fitto, whom they welcomed as if it were their own.
Fitto is interviewed with Ribera and what they take for granted at the EPP is that if he doesn’t get the two thirds he needs and therefore has to go to a second hearing, they will drag Ribera and the candidate French Stéphane Séjourné. , to the same situation. And the problem for socialists and liberals is that they oppose elevating a far-right candidate to the vice presidency.
