The PP is trying to move on from the screening crisis in Andalusia: "Let's not fall into traps or distractions"

MadridThe People's Party (PP) has tried to move past the breast cancer screening crisis in Andalusia at the party's regional congress held this weekend in Seville. And it did so to the rhythm of soul music.Don't you worry 'bout a thing" It's one of the refrains sung by the sextet tasked with providing musical entertainment during the more than hour-long wait for Juanma Moreno and Alberto Núñez Feijóo's speeches. A soundtrack to bolster the "hope" that, Despite the recent setbacks that have caused concern within the partyThe Andalusian president and the leader of the People's Party (PP) attempted to generate a sense of unity during the closing of the Andalusian PP congress. After weeks of being cornered by errors in his diagnoses, Moreno used the event, which re-elected him with 99.95% support as president of the PP of Andalusia, to defend his questioned administration and, with the regional elections imminent, ask for the trust of the Andalusian people to retain an absolute majority that he is now unlikely to secure. Moreno defended the "importance of stability to move forward" and denounced a "confluence of populist interests" that want to turn the public debate into "a mudslinging battleground" with the aim of undermining him. The Andalusian president pointed to the parties both to his right and to his left. "They don't think the same way, but they seek the same thing: to break the majority that provides stability," he said. Along the same lines, Feijóo called for "not to be complacent" and "not to fall into traps or distractions." "Let stability not be interrupted," the Popular Party leader urged, expressing his aspiration to achieve it himself throughout the country despite being increasingly cornered by Vox. Feijóo praised the Andalusian model, which "reminds us that one can be moderate and determined." "Spain needs this type of politics to win," he asserted, denouncing "the corruption and lies" of a PSOE "that has no legal limits" and is "capable of absolutely anything."

While Moreno and Feijóo were making these statements, thousands of people demonstrated in Andalusian provincial capitals to protest the screening scandal and defend public healthcare. Organized by the CCOO and UGT unions and the "white tide" movement, the demonstrators denounced the "widespread and planned deterioration" of public services, which has been made evident by the errors in the breast cancer screening program. They left more than 2,000 women unprotected and? They are under judicial investigationA matter that, despite Moreno's attempts to move on, is far from closed, as demonstrated by next week's agenda in the Andalusian parliament, which will debate the creation of a commission of inquiry into the screening scandal. In his address, the Andalusian president defended himself against the public outcry, labeling the "alleged privatization" of public healthcare a "great lie of the left." "It is absolutely false; they always try to scare the public," he retorted.

Madrid admits mistakes

A privatization allegation extends to other regions governed by the PP, such as the Community of Madrid, where, as revealed by La Sexta, errors have also occurred in cancer screenings, in this case for colon cancer. In a statement quoted by EfeThe Madrid Health Department has admitted to an "incident" in sending results to approximately 500 people who received false negatives. However, according to Isabel Díaz Ayuso's administration, "no clinical process was altered" because a week after receiving the notification, on February 5, those affected were contacted by phone, SMS, or in person. "There was no diagnostic error," they maintain. Nevertheless, Más Madrid, the main opposition party, has demanded that the Madrid Health Minister, Fátima Matute, appear before the regional parliament. "They are hiding the screening data, but they won't succeed," Manuela Bergerot, Más Madrid's spokesperson in the Assembly, told X. The Ministry of Health requested cancer screening data from all regions earlier this week, and Madrid has already responded by refusing to submit it until there are guarantees of uniform criteria, according to sources from the Ministry of Health cited by Europa Press.

Negotiations with Vox in Valencia

Feijóo embraced the "hopeful outlook for the future" that the Andalusian PP sought to cultivate at its congress when addressing the negotiations with Vox in the Valencian Community. "Everything will turn out well," the Popular Party leader affirmed upon arriving at the Andalusian event. The resignation of Carlos Mazón is the main obstacle to Feijóo's national leadership, which is already facing headaches with the hot potato of replacing the Valencian president, the scandal in Andalusia, and the investigation into the handling of wildfires in Castile and León. Vox's Secretary General, Ignacio Garriga, stated this Sunday that they are waiting for the PP to propose a successor to Mazón and pledged to conduct the negotiations with "discretion," without creating a "media circus."