Pedro Sánchez declares three days of mourning from Córdoba: "We will discover the truth"

MadridThis Monday was supposed to be a politically significant event: the meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the leader of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, after almost a year without a meeting. However, last night both decided to cancel their schedules due to the Adamuz train tragedy in Andalusia. Given the large number of victims and the severity of the accident, the Spanish Prime Minister traveled this morning to the site of the disaster to gather firsthand information. He then addressed the media to announce three days of official mourning and to make it clear that it is "a day of sorrow for all of Spain" and that he will get to the bottom of what happened. In a press conference where no questions were taken, the Spanish Prime Minister did not comment on the possible causes of the accident, as the Ministry of Transport has admitted that its origin is unknown—"it's strange," Minister Óscar Puente stated yesterday, Sunday. In this regard, Sánchez guaranteed that he "will uncover the truth." "When the cause is known, with absolute transparency, we will inform the public," he said. Minutes earlier, speaking to X, Puente had said the following: "We have been able to confirm the seriousness of what happened and the terrible consequences. But we don't know, nor does anyone know at this time, the causes. It will be the Railway Accident Investigation Commission that determines them." Thus, Puente asked for "prudence in analyses based on speculation."

At this point, Pedro Sánchez took the opportunity to ask citizens to stay informed through the media and official channels, and to avoid the "disinformation" that arises during times of crisis. The Spanish president appeared alongside the president of the Andalusian Regional Government, Juanma Moreno Bonilla (PP), and prescribed "unity" to respond to the crisis, as well as coordination between the different levels of government. For his part, Moreno Bonilla warned that there are still "many hours of intense work ahead" and expressed his gratitude for the "absolutely necessary coordination" between all the administrations—the Adamuz City Council, the Córdoba Provincial Council, and the Spanish government. He also acknowledged the "availability of resources," "cooperation," and "loyalty," which are essential to "try to resolve and alleviate" the consequences of the catastrophe. A collaborative attitude between the Andalusian Regional Government and the Spanish government, which, for now, contrasts sharply with the rivalry shown by the PSOE and PP parties in other tragedies, most notably the devastating floods in the Valencian Community.

Days of mourning and minutes of silence

Monday's political agenda has been suspended in the wake of the tragedy. Before the decree of three days of official mourning, most parties canceled their usual Monday morning meetings and subsequent press conferences. Only the far-right Vox party maintained its schedule, and has justified the slowdown in negotiations In Extremadura, the investiture of María Guardiola took place just one day before the Assembly was to be constituted.

As the day progressed, there were signs of condolence – the flags of the Congress and the Senate flew at half-mast – and moments of silence were observed to express support and solidarity with the victims and their families. Both chambers that make up the Valencian Parliament (Corts) announced the suspension of the parliamentary agenda until Thursday. In Catalonia, the Catalan government and the Comuns postponed their scheduled meeting to monitor the agreements between the two parties, and both the Catalan government and the Barcelona City Council called for a minute of silence at noon in Plaça Sant Jaume in memory of the victims.

The Spanish president has also suspended the round of talks he was scheduled to continue after Monday's meeting with Feijóo regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine. La Moncloa (the Prime Minister's office) has announced that Sánchez will also not meet tomorrow with Verónica Martínez Barbero, spokesperson for the Sumar coalition in Congress, nor with Gabriel Rufián, leader of the ERC party in Madrid, and will not attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. Meanwhile, the president of Castile and León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (PP), suspended the press conference he had planned to announce early elections, which he had previously announced in a statement on March 15. Aragon, where elections are scheduled for February 8, postponed the start of its campaign by one day and will launch it this Friday instead of Thursday night.