There will be no Extraordinary Council of Ministers to deal with the consequences of DANA, which has already caused more than 200 deaths and tens of thousands of victims, without water, electricity and food for several days. The Sánchez government will not meet in full to face the most important natural disaster of the century until next Tuesday, the usual date, when it declares the Valencian Community a catastrophic zone.
The last time Pedro Sánchez held an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers was the last time March 8. The reason? Announce a series of feminist measures concerning women, equality and against gender violence which, apparently, in this case, could not wait.
This extraordinary Council of Ministers was chaired by the first vice-president and Minister of Finance, Maria Jesus Montero, and President Sánchez was not present because that day, which fell on a Friday, coincided with an official trip to Brazil and Chile. “The Spanish government places equality, the gender perspective and the eradication of violence against women as priorities. top priorities and transversal in its institutional activity and in all its government initiatives”, explained the minister during the press conference after the Council.
Today, also Friday, and despite the fact that we are facing the worst cold fall that Spain has ever known, Sánchez has decided that the declaration of certain areas of Valencia as a catastrophic zone so that those affected can claim aid now, could wait until next Tuesday, despite the fact that 7 ministers coincided with him in La Moncloa to celebrate the crisis commission that monitors the effects of DANA.
He was accompanied by the First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero; the second vice-president and minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz; the third vice-president and minister of ecological transition and demographic challenge, Teresa Ribera; the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños; Defense Minister Margarita Robles; the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente; the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant (via telematics).
catastrophic zone
The measures that the government will announce on Tuesday during the next Council of Ministers are part of the declaration of a catastrophic zone of the Royal Decree-Law 11/2019published in the Official State Gazette on September 20, 2019. Thanks to it, urgent actions are adopted to mitigate the damage caused by storms and other catastrophic situations. Concretely, the aid offered by the State is as follows:
- Assistance to those directly affected by personal injury: assistance is provided to those who have suffered physical damage or personal loss as a direct consequence of the disaster.
- Subsidies for reconstruction or home repair: Homes affected by the event may receive financial assistance to repair or rebuild the structural damage sustained.
- Helping families cover essential goods damaged: The Government can offer additional assistance to people who have had their basic necessities damaged, by guaranteeing the replacement of essential goods.
- Support for businesses and establishments: Companies, businesses and services that have suffered damage can also benefit from aid, as well as access specific loans (ICO loans) and reductions in certain tax obligations.
- Labor and social security measures: Mechanisms are implemented to support workers and employers, such as temporary suspensions of contracts, reductions in working hours or even termination of contracts due to the direct impact of the disaster.
- Compensation for damage caused to agricultural, livestock and forestry sector to mitigate losses in their production.
- Other aids from the National Civil Protection System: There are also various aids detailed in the Civil Protection regulations, which respond to a wide range of specific situations and needs in disaster areas.
