The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, have become embroiled in a bitter controversy, including an exchange of insults, following the request made by the popular leader for the State to declare a national emergency to combat the fires and take command.
The simultaneous advance of wildfires in central Spain has unleashed a new political confrontation between the Community of Madrid and the central government. While the regional president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has requested the declaration of operational situation 3 of national interest, the Government Delegation questions the measure and demands documentation to support it.
Pedro Sánchez’s Government has emerged from the last extraordinary plenary session of the political year with a bittersweet taste: it has saved three initiatives with the force of law, but has suffered a new defeat on the deficit path, which has been the most significant political vote of the day because it is the preliminary step to be able to present the State’s general budgets. This is the second time in two weeks that the Government has seen Congress reject, with votes from PP, Vox, and Junts, the stability path, a sign that it will have difficulty processing the accounts.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo has been very critical of the “agreed interview” that José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero granted to RTVE to explain the jewels valued at 1.3 million euros and the alleged collection of a commission for helping with the rescue of Plus Ultra. In the opinion of the PP leader, Zapatero “answered nothing” and assured that Pedro Sánchez “is in Zapatero’s hands and Zapatero is in Julio Martínez’s hands,” referring to the businessman who confessed that the former President of the Government took 1% of the Plus Ultra rescue.
Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero today reaffirmed his innocence regarding the Plus Ultra case in an interview on RTVE’s Mañaneros. Zapatero maintained that he did not intervene in the rescue of Plus Ultra, distanced himself from the confession of his friend Julio Martínez, and justified the possession of the jewels seized in his office as a “personal courtesy” gift. These are some of the most notable phrases from his intervention.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero admitted this Thursday, in his first public interview on TVE since he was charged with alleged corruption offenses on May 19, the enormous concern that these accusations have caused in the socialist ranks. “I suffer a lot thinking that the PSOE could suffer because of the situation I am in, I suffer a lot,” he acknowledged. But to all socialists who maintain confidence in his innocence, starting with Pedro Sánchez, he conveyed: “I am not going to ask for an act of faith.”
Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has publicly come out to defend his innocence, his work as a consultant after leaving his political career, and to deny that he exerted any influence in favor of companies, specifically Plus Ultra. The former socialist leader has come forward 48 hours after his friend Julio Martínez Martínez chose to cooperate with justice and point to him as the ideologue and manager of the activities of the company investigated by the National Court, Análisis Relevante.
Christmas lottery tickets are now on sale. The rush of the present gives no respite, and procrastinating is for idlers. What can be done today, don’t leave for tomorrow. If we buy concert tickets one and two years in advance, there’s nothing strange about getting the lottery tickets…
Former Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero will grant an interview to public television this Thursday. It is his first public appearance after his indictment and after having testified before the judge, José Luís Calama, who is investigating him in the National Court.
The five members of the electoral board of October 1, 2017; Tània Verge, former minister of ERC; the lawyer Marc Marsal; Josep Pagès, current MP for Junts; the professor of Political Science, Jordi Matas, and the lawyer Marta Alsina have been amnestied.