The blackout and a regrettable debate in Congress

While citizens are still waiting for precise explanations about the causes of the blackout, the Congress of Deputies experienced a shameful government oversight session this Wednesday. The People's Party (PP), obsessed with recovering the stifling atmosphere of the end of Felipe González's administration, brandished the WhatsApp messages between Pedro Sánchez and José Luis Ábalos that it has been publishing these days. The World as if they were a summary piece of evidence, when in reality they are pure gossip. No, the messages do not prove any malpractice or corruption in the Spanish government's bailout of Air Europa. This is a testament to how destructive the Ábalos case could be for the PSOE.

The fact is that, while there are serious, real problems that demand debate and solutions, such as the April 28 blackout or Donald Trump's tariff war, Congress is the scene of a back-and-forth based on leaked messages that, so far, have not been proven true by those affected. Regarding the blackout, the Spanish government is offering information in dribs and drabs, most of it already known. This Wednesday, it was confirmed that there was no cyberattack and that the first generation losses occurred in electrical substations in Seville, Granada, and Badajoz. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, also explained that half an hour before the blackout, two fluctuations in the grid were detected, and that they are still studying what exactly happened at the three disconnection points around 12:33 p.m., the start time of the blackout.

However, this Wednesday it was also learned that both Red Eléctrica and the National Commission of Markets and Competition warned two years ago that "tensions" in the electrical system could cause a blackout. The Spanish government, therefore, in addition to clarifying what happened on April 28, should also provide explanations about what was done in response to these warnings.

The discussion cannot become, as the opposition seems to intend, a debate between nuclear and renewable energy. Instead, it should focus on clarifying what changes the Spanish electrical system needs to adapt to the new reality of multiple energy generating centers. What investments are needed, on what schedules, and who should make them. It is also necessary to address the need to increase the Iberian Peninsula's electrical interconnections with Europe, a measure that France has always been reluctant to undertake. The debate must be more technical than ideological, because the commitment to renewable and clean energy is irreversible. And if the life of nuclear power plants must be extended, it must be done in a way that is positive for balancing the entire system, not for private interests.

The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, however, seems to be more concerned about a few WhatsApp irrelevant than for all these reasons.