Political Tensions Amidst Tragedy: Congress Suspends Session Over Flood Victims
In a surprising turn of events, President of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, announced the suspension of a government control session on Wednesday, just thirty minutes after it commenced. This decision follows the tragic loss of over 50 lives due to DANA, a severe weather phenomenon that has wreaked havoc across the Valencian Community and Castilla La Mancha. Despite the suspension, the urgent plenary session initiated by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) to validate the renewal process of the RTVE (Spanish public broadcaster) Council remains on the agenda. The Senate has also decided to halt its plenary session in light of the current situation.
The decision to pause the session came after the Popular Party (PP) posed three critical questions to Vice Presidents María Jesús Montero and Yolanda Díaz concerning various matters, including the controversial Errejón case and issues surrounding corruption. Subsequently, PP spokesperson Miguel Tellado requested the presidency to suspend the plenary session, urging the government to focus on assisting those affected by the heavy rains. This appeal found support from socialist spokesperson Patxi López and Àgueda Micó, leader of Compromís, who expressed deep concern for her impacted region.
Armengol noted that, historically, no political party had called for such a suspension, with only a minute of silence being observed in honor of the DANA victims. Conversely, the PP and Vox demanded that the subsequent plenary session, aimed at validating the RTVE reform decree, should also be canceled; however, this request was denied. The PP expressed their disappointment, calling it regrettable that the government only halted discussions related to parliamentary control.
Before the session was interrupted, First Vice President and Minister of Finance María Jesús Montero urged all parties in Congress to put aside political disagreements and unite in providing swift assistance to the storm victims. However, PP General Secretary Cuca Gamarra dismissed this appeal, utilizing her speech to criticize what she perceives as the government's occupation and colonization of institutions under Pedro Sánchez.
In a heated exchange, Montero countered Gamarra's remarks, emphasizing the need for all institutions to serve the citizens and to demonstrate that the governmental system is coordinated and functional amid the crisis. She called for an end to the political lies and deceptions that she claimed the PP employs.
Additionally, the Errejón case emerged as a focal point for the PP, who seized the chance to target Second Vice President Yolanda Díaz. Popular deputy Jaime de Olano accused Díaz of covering up allegations and compromising on values for political gain. In response, Díaz condemned the PP for their apparent disregard for victims of sexual violence, highlighting the Nevenka case and the PP's alliance with Vox in the Valencian Community, where convicted misogynistic violence perpetrator Carlos Flores is a prominent member.
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