This Wednesday, the Spanish Popular Party held the third vice-president and Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, responsible for the consequences of Dana in Valencia. Popular MEP Esteban González Pons criticized the fact that Ribera is “rewarded” with a job at the European Commission despite its management of the natural disaster and asked the Government to propose another candidate.
During a plenary session in the European Parliament, popular Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons criticized the fact that Ribera was “rewarded” despite his responsibility for handling the floods. “In all consideration, but with a heavy heart, I ask the socialist group to propose another candidate. In Valencia, 15 days later, there are still families without electricity, without transport, unidentified corpses and unfound bodies , “And the competent minister will be rewarded?” asked.
The plenary session of the European Parliament became a sort of continuation of Ribera’s assessment before the European Parliament on Tuesday in his aspiration to assume the vice-presidency of the European Commission in charge of Climate and Competition portfolio responsibilities. A hearing which ended with a defense by the socialist of the Government’s management in the face of the natural disaster and transfer responsibilities to the Valencian Generalitat led by Carlos Mazón.
“The institutions were not up to the disaster,” González Pons said in an argument in which he urged people to apologize “without political colors.” “As a Valencian politician, I apologize”he added.
In her speech, popular MEP Dolors Monserrat accused Ribera of lying in her assessment before the European Parliament. “Teresa Ribera cannot be European Commissioner,” declared the Catalan, arguing that being Minister of Climate ““abdicated all his powers and responsibilities.”
“He is responsible for preparing, preventing and responding to a climate catastrophe. Not only did he not take responsibility for the catastrophe, but, without appearing before the Spanish Congress, lied to this Parliament yesterday by denying that she and her ministry had the powers warning and emergency systems and canal preparation and all investments in flood zones”.
“This completely invalidates their future in Europe,” added Monserrat, who rejects that Europe is “the hiding place so that Ms. Ribera does not assume any type of responsibility political and perhaps judicial in Spain. “Teresa Ribera cannot be commissioner in Europe.”
The response of the socialists was formulated by the MEP Iratxe García who criticized the presence of Mazón on October 29 “eating in a restaurant after ignoring the red alert that the State Meteorological Agency had issued by Dana.” The socialist added to this reproach that the head of the Valencian Executive ignored the warnings of the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar and that he rejected military aid emergency three times.
“They waited 12 hours later to send a message via their cell phone,” explained the socialist to show that “it was too late for many people.” Furthermore, he responded that “the State provides meteorological and hydrological information and generates alerts” but that It was up to the Valencian Generalitat to “send alerts to the population”.
The socialist defended Ribera’s role, his respect for science, his fight against climate change and in favor of the defense of public services. “Climate change kills”Garcia settled down.
A similar message was conveyed by Podemos MEP Irene Montero: “the climate emergency kills”. I therefore accuse PP of “incompetent management and homicide” of the natural disaster and defended the establishment of a “social shield” for people affected by the effects of Dana.
