By voting against Ursula von der Leyen’s second European Commission, the Spanish People’s Party (PP) acted irresponsibly, breaking the longstanding consensus between the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Thursday.
The PP’s vote against the ‘Von der Leyen II’ executive on Wednesday meant the party “has broken (…) a consensus built between the two great political families” in the European Parliament, Albares (PSOE/S&D) stated.
“It is irresponsible (…) the European Commission needs to be on the move, powerful and cohesive” to tackle urgent challenges, the minister told Spanish public radio broadcaster Radio Nacional de España (RNE).
The PP’s negative vote was motivated by the party’s firm rejection of Spain’s incoming commissioner, Teresa Ribera.
The party’s leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has heavily criticised Ribera (PSOE), who formally stepped down as Spanish minister for the ecological transition on Monday, for supposed failings in the government’s response to October’s catastrophic floods in Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha. The floods have so far claimed the lives of 222 people.
Conversely, the PSOE has argued that the regional Valencian government, led by the PP’s Carlos Mazón, is primarily responsible for any shortcomings.
“The PP has tried to cover up its responsibility (in the management of the floods) with irresponsibility (the vote against the Commission) in the EU”, Albares told RNE.
Despite the PP’s rejection, the new Commission received the support of the European Parliament, with 370 votes in favour, 282 against, and 36 abstentions.
However, Albares argued that the move shows that the PP is distancing itself from its EPP colleagues.
“They (the PP) have been left alone, to the shame of Spain”, he stated.
(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)
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Publish date : 2024-11-28 23:01:00
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The post Spanish government slams Partido Popular for breaking EU political consensus – Euractiv first appeared on Love Europe.
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Publish date : 2024-11-29 08:57:49
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