The Mazón and Ayuso scandals that complicate Feijóo's life

MadridWhile Alberto Núñez Feijóo has focused his public intervention this Thursday on criticizing Pedro Sánchez's lack of specificity regarding the increase in military spending After meeting at the Moncloa Palace, two thorny folders have taken the spotlight from the complaint of the leader of the PP and the attacks of his party against the president of the Spanish government for the judicial cases of Sánchez's entourage - with movements on the Ábalos case and Sánchez's brother's–. This concerns Carlos Mazón's management of the DANA (National Plan for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), which is being judicially investigated for the 228 deaths it caused, and Isabel Díaz Ayuso's management during the pandemic, which left a death toll of 7,219 in nursing homes. A figure that the Madrid president lowered this Wednesday, generating a new controversy on this issue.

As for the Valencian president, Feijóo and the PP leadership have become accustomed to questions about Mazón's future, which are repeated at each appearance as new information emerges that increasingly harass him. The PP leader is now clinging to the fact that Mazón is not indicted – although other members of his executive are, such as the former Minister of Emergencies, Salomé Pradas – arguing that "at the moment there is no news" that would force him to change his mind and force the replacement of the president. baron Popular. "This isn't today's topic," "I don't like changing my mind every 15 minutes or every week," and "Everything in its own time" are some of the phrases he uttered to escape the studio.

However, Feijóo did have a couple of setbacks this Thursday related to Mazón's management of the DANA (National Action Plan). The plenary session of Congress approved the creation of a commission of inquiry into how the response to the October 29th catastrophe was conducted. The PP voted against it, along with Vox, but the votes of the plurinational majority allowed it to be given the green light. During the debate, shouts of "Mazón, resign!" were heard, and the result of the vote opens a new front for the Valencian president, who, while waiting for the list of those who will appear to be finalized, can already anticipate a future appearance in the lower house while he has not received, for the moment, any judicial summons.

The other complication for Feijóo related to the DANA is the European People's Party's decision to maintain Valencia as the venue for the congress it will hold on April 29 and 30. The leader of the Popular Party (PP) had proposed changing the venue closer to Madrid, arguing that it coincides with a plenary session of Congress and it will be difficult to combine the two. The background is the inconvenience of meeting at the headquarters of the main political crisis facing the Spanish conservatives. However, if the congress had been changed, the EPP would have had trouble justifying the expenses already committed to in a future audit. So the change has been thwarted.

Ayuso's clash with RTVE

The broadcast this Thursday night on La 2 of RTVE of a documentary, entitled 7.219, regarding deaths in nursing homes in Madrid during the pandemic, has caused the Madrid president to become nervous. The Community of Madrid has also requested that two videos be broadcast to offer its perspective. Ayuso's government denies any mismanagement that led to these deaths due to the failure to refer dependent patients to hospitals. RTVE rejected the request and denounced "undue interference" by Ayuso. The corporation has also defended its invitation to the Madrid president to participate in the special program on the pandemic that will air before the documentary. Ayuso countered that it is a "sectarian program" amid complaints from family members and the left regarding her actions.