Feijóo blames Sánchez for the train accidents: "His government will be held accountable."

MadridPedro Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo clashed in the Congress of Deputies over the train accidents in Adamuz (Córdoba) and Gelida. The Spanish president addressed the lower house more than three weeks after the double fatal crash, which left 47 victims and triggered a Unprecedented rail chaos in CataloniaUntil now, the one who had given explanations, both in Congress and in the Senate, had been the Minister of Transport, Óscar PuenteAs the minister had already done, Sánchez maintained that the Adamuz railway line had "scrupulously" complied with all maintenance controls before the accident, although he acknowledged that protocols "are not infallible" and that quality standards must be "expanded and improved." Alberto Núñez Feijóo, in a very harsh speech, targeted the Spanish president: "They played Russian roulette with our safety. This was an avoidable accident, not an unforeseeable catastrophe," the PP leader declared. He even threatened Sánchez with being tried for the railway accidents: "Instruct your lawyers to look into everything because they'll need it. Your government will be in the dock for this too."

Right from the start, the Spanish president pledged to "rigorously investigate" the causes of the accident, "report transparently" on what is discovered, "take the necessary measures" to prevent accidents from happening again, and, if necessary, "do justice." In contrast to the ongoing tension with Carlos Mazón following the DANA stormSánchez praised the role of the Andalusian Regional Government, led by Juanma Moreno Bonilla of the People's Party, and emphasized that the "close cooperation and coordination" between all levels of government allowed for a "rapid and organized response" and "helped save lives." He also made an appeal, directed especially to the People's Party and Vox, to "not speculate, not spread misinformation, and not use the tragedy to incite tension."

However, despite acknowledging the tragedy, he emphasized that Spain has a vast network of railway lines—saying that if they were laid straight, they would connect the North and South Poles—and that incidents and speed reductions due to maintenance or storms are "inevitable." "These are not anomalies or dysfunctions; it's part of the normal operation of a complex system," he stated. Furthermore, he asserted that accidents have decreased by up to 11 percent during his administration compared to Mariano Rajoy's term. In this regard, he touted his government's investment in the railway network—an "investment effort" that he claimed is yielding "tangible results"—and explained the new measures following the agreement reached with the unions this week. to call off the train strikeAnd he emphasized that if the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) concludes that further measures are necessary, they will be taken. Sánchez received the support of Sumar: "This government did what was required. To be transparent, coordinate, and provide immediate information," asserted Sumar spokesperson Verónica Martínez Barbero.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo was not convinced by Pedro Sánchez's speech, which, far from the political truce that prevailed in the first hours after the accident, has now escalated. "They should have come to apologize and accept the consequences," he reproached him. The PP leader believes that his speech was a "profound and planned deception" for mixing the data he presented: "You have to be made of different stuff to create this hodgepodge and not get your guts churned." And he demanded that Puente and Sánchez resign: "You warned everyone and it didn't matter to them, you're all narcissists. On the very day of the funeral, your minister said he had done a great job and you chirped about Elon Musk."

Feijóo also addressed his investiture partners: "What has to happen for this government to feel responsible for anything and for its partners to demand it?" he asked first. And later, faced with the "negligence" he attributes to the Spanish government, he urged his allies to withdraw their support. He reproached Bildu, saying that they should be talking about the "victims of gunfire and explosives," alluding to ETA's prisoner policy; he referred to Gabriel Rufián ironically, asserting that he hopes his "Spanish left-wing project lasts longer than the Catalan republic"; While urging Junts to explain to its voters why it supports a government that is "responsible" for the railway chaos in Catalonia.

Following Feijóo's line of thought, Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, declared that "Adamuz was a crime, not an accident, and it will weigh heavily on their consciences." In his view, train tragedies are a consequence of the Spanish government's malpractice: "It betrays them that the former transport minister is in prison [...]. Sánchez is rotten with corruption and lies." However, Abascal didn't dedicate his entire speech to the railway network; he also took the opportunity to discuss the regularization of migrants, supporting his argument with the replacement theory: "They want to replace the Spaniards they don't like."

Rufián attacks the right wing and avoids calling for Puente's resignation

Speaking on behalf of Esquerra Republicana, Gabriel Rufián defended Óscar Puente's handling of the DANA storm in comparison to Carlos Mazón's, a portion of his speech that was applauded by the PSOE and Sumar deputies. And, although he held the minister responsible for the lack of investment, especially in Catalonia, he avoided explicitly calling for Óscar Puente's dismissal. This was a less belligerent stance than that of the party, which is going voted in favor seven days ago in the Senate and the party leader, Oriol Junqueras, He believes the minister "must take responsibility""Is he responsible for some things and perhaps should he resign? I don't know, let's see," Rufián clarified. He did, however, criticize the current Minister of Transport for having "perpetuated a deeply classist infrastructure model," lamenting that the commuter rail service is "a piece of shit": "It's the true engine and creator of separatists."

Rufián's speech contrasted with that of Míriam Nogueras, of Junts, who argued that both the PSOE and PP governments always abandon Catalans. The Junts representative focused her remarks on the commuter rail service, highlighting the lack of investment by successive Spanish administrations and also the budget execution deficit. "There's nothing more like a right-wing Spaniard than a left-wing Spaniard," she declared, reproaching the Spanish government for not fulfilling its outstanding agreements with Junts or for not completing the full transfer of the commuter rail service. In this regard, he urged Esquerra and the Comuns to stand "on the side" of the users and not support Salvador Illa's government without any resignations.

International summits

Tuesday's appearance, which is also the first by the head of the executive branch before the lower house this year, will not focus solely on train accidents. Sánchez has decided to take the opportunity to also report on the recent international meetings he has attended. And inevitably, the results of the elections in Extremadura and Aragon, which –despite the PSOE's poor results– the Spanish government clings to in order to attack the PP, which it accuses of being giving wings to the far-right Vox.