What seemed at first glance to be a matter in which, for a change, all parliamentary forces could put aside their differences to reach an agreement for the good of Vigo, accelerating the process high-speed rail link between the Olive City and Portugaltranslated into confrontation, discussions and a motion with reproaches and without demands which was only validated by the socialist majority led by Abel Caballero, without taking into consideration the amendments of the PP or those of the BNG.
A complete speech where the mayor began the session, as should not be missed in a self-respecting story, going back decades to explain his role and relevance in the arrival of high speed in Vigo. A story that dates back to 2002, when the government of Aznar and Álvarez Cascos “they left the city without an AVE»directly to Madrid and the city’s mayor at the time, Lois Pérez Castrillo, admitted that the route of the road passed through Santiago through a “lack of courage”, in the words of Caballero.
He also spoke of the time when he was still a candidate for mayor and had “doubts”, in 2007, about the commitment of the Central Executive led by Zapatero regarding the broadband connection of the olive-growing city. The advisor explained that he had asked the president of the government at the time, Zapatero, the condition that the AVE arrive in Vigo from Madrid through Cercedo in 2012, a date that was not an ultimatum, like Caballero admitted it several times, even if yesterday rewrote his version of events, 17 years later.
“Zapatero launched the informative study, but it was not going fast enough and I gave up,” he said, acknowledging having put the renunciation of the candidacy on the table, adding: “I had doubts But it was the key decision to have the AVE, because immediately Touriño – then president of the Xunta – urged Fomento to take the AVE to Vigo and Fomento said yes, that’s why. the declaration environmental impact assessment has been made,” he said. “If Zapatero continued we would have the AVE many years ago“, he proclaimed in statements collected by Ep.
A feat truncated by the government of Mariano Rajoy, who “started the slowdown” of the AVE through Cercedo until Pedro Sánchez took command and “had to start from scratch” according to the socialist councilor. This was clearly expressed by the Socialists of Vigo in the sixth point approved by the plenary session of the City Council, where both the PP and the BNG are required to “ Apologize to this city for the negligence and intolerable position it has taken“. A point that they refused to modify despite the insistence of the opposition, destroying a possible agreement in the face of an initiative in which all groups agree that it is positive for the city, approved by the PSdeG of Vigo thanks to its absolute majority. the Company.
The word “request” was also not introduced.as requested by the PP and the BNG, which remain to insist and recognize the commitment of the central government to establish the southern connection with Portugal by 2030 after the change of opinion expressed by Sánchez during the last Spanish summit -Portuguese. All this provoked the indignation of the popular group, which left the plenary session before the vote, accusing the call of a “farce”, while the nationalists abstained.
What the local executive added is the announcement that they will make three protest concerts and demonstrations on November 26, December 11 and January 3 to demand and defend the AVE to Madrid, the AVE to Porto and the new Vigo-O Porriño highway in a tunnel.
“Partisan game”
“In the Popular Party we were ready to vote in favor of the PSOE motion, provided that they accept our amendments to remove the partisan use of the initiative,” declared its spokesperson, Miguel Martín, who defended the departure of his group before the vote. . For avoid participating in the “partisan game” and the “vote trap” that took place.
Furthermore, Martín affirmed that the session highlighted the lack of “real interest” in reaching a consensus on the part of the socialists of Vigo, at the same time as he reached out to the BNG to convene a plenary session extraordinary, “without partisanship” to reach an agreement between all the parties and thus achieve a “city position”.
In the same spirit, the nationalist spokesperson, Xabier P. Igrexas, described the measure as “partisan movement full of lies and lies“, accusing the socialists of seeking “noise” in the face of consensus and obtaining “one more Pyrrhic victory with which the city gains nothing.” “If we talk about firmly defending the southern exit, there is no has no room for stumbles or stories,” concluded the BNG spokesperson.
