The third Vice-President of the Government and Minister of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Therese Riberacriticized DANA victims on Tuesday for “not taking the alerts seriously”. This was stated during her examination in the European Parliament as a candidate for the executive vice-president of the Clean, fair and competitive transition and the Competition portfolio of the European Commission.
Ribera said that “the alerts were issued at the right time” by the central government, which has jurisdiction over these weather warnings and “follow the flow of water in real time”he declared without expressly citing the overflow of the Poyo ravine, of which the Jucar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) notified late and by email to the Valencian Generalitat of Carlos Mazon. “The rest is an autonomous responsibility,” declared the socialist leader.
“It would be good to think about why they want to undermine Aemet’s credibility and Why are these alerts not taken seriously?this has catastrophic consequences for people,” Ribera said, also blaming “local authorities who often did not follow the alerts.”
“The risk of major flooding is only resolved in a very short time when the signal is taken seriously, in this case a red alert, which “recommends that everyone stay at home and eliminate mobility.”Ribera came to say.
The assessment is postponed
Meanwhile, the European People’s Party (EPP), in conversation with the Spanish PP of Alberto Nuñez Feijóoforced this Tuesday to postpone the evaluation of the six candidates for vice-presidents of the new European Commission after today’s examinations in the European Parliament, including the socialist candidate Teresa Ribera.
European People’s Party sources indicated that Ribera “cannot have any intention of coming to Europe”. without things being clear in Spain”while adding that delaying the approval of the six vice-presidential candidates also pursues the objective of gaining time to achieve other changes in the group, both in profiles and in portfolio titles, as indicated Eph.
Thus, Feijóo managed to get the European PP to block the election of Ribera as commissioner at least until she appeared in the Congress of Deputies. next November 20 to give explanations on his controversial management of the DANA crisis, which is already leaving the at least 223 dead and dozens of missing people.
The Vice-President-designate of the European Commission for a clean, fair and competitive transition, Teresa Ribera, began her hearing before the European Parliament with words of remembrance of the victims of DANA, but far from self-criticism Concerning his action, he limited himself to warning that these “extreme weather phenomena will be more and more frequent” and recommended “strengthening prevention and alert”.
“On a bench”
“My commitment is to strengthen the observation capacity, flood preventionexecute what corresponds and support governments so that this finds us readyalso with water resilience programs”, Ribera said in response to the head of the Vox delegation in the European Parliament, Jorge Buxadewho denounced that the socialist candidate “should not sit on the Commission, but on a bench”.
Buxadé described as “chilling” the fact that the Zapatero government already knew in 2004 that “this could happen”, in reference to the flooding of the Poyo ravine, and “They didn’t do anything.”criticized the socialists. In this context, Ribera stated that “my main concern for the future is that society is not able to value “the threat posed by climate change”.
At the same time, he declared that “the lack of support for budgets makes it difficult to invest in public services”, and criticized Buxadé that “there is nothing more dangerous than undermining the credibility of the institutions which we warn.” the Vox MEP then alluded to the weak warnings from the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet) and the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar (CHJ), two bodies dependent on the Ministry of Ecological Transition led by Ribera.
“You, as the minister on whom the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar depends for weather warnings and the management of hydraulic projects, are responsible for the tragedy in Valencia,” Buxadé told Ribera.
“Judicially implicated”
For her part, the spokesperson for the PP in the European Parliament, Dolors Montserratstressed that the incompetence demonstrated for years by Teresa Ribera would lead to the discredit of the European Commission and its President, Ursula Von der Leyenif she manages to be confirmed as commissioner.
“This examination is now unnecessary“Well, 14 days ago she took the exam of her life in Valencia, and as Minister of Climate she failed,” Montserrat pointed out.
“It was up to you to have avoided the tragedy. As responsible for investments in river management, as responsible for flood prevention and as responsible for climate alerts”launched the spokesperson of the PP to Ribera, asking him if he undertakes to resign if he is seen “judicially implicated so as not to bring discredit to President Von Der Leyen and the entire college of commissioners. Three complaints have already been filed against Ribera.
“The Spanish countryside considers it its main enemy. This has ruined ranchers and farmers. European industry, energy and automobiles denounce its radicalism and sectarianism. His management is a long list of impositions without dialogue,” added Montserrat.
