Spanish Senate Approves Investigation Commission into April's Massive Power Outage
The commission aims to clarify the causes behind the April 28 blackout, with key figures like Sara Aagesen expected to testify.
On Wednesday, the Spanish Senate was the site of intense discussions regarding the massive power outage that occurred on April 28. The session commenced with a focused examination of the blackout, featuring the appearance of the Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen.
Her presentation was requested by the Popular Party (PP) and followed her previous testimony in Congress just a week earlier.
The term "apagón" resonated throughout the day, underscoring the urgency and significance of the matter.
Later in the day, the Senate debated a commission of investigation designed to elucidate the causes of the blackout.
This initiative, driven by the PP, secured approval with 151 votes in favor, comprising support from the PP and Vox, while 93 votes were against and 13 abstained.
As of now, a timeline for the committee's activities remains undisclosed, although parliamentary sources from the PP indicate a strong likelihood of summonses for both Aagesen and Beatriz Corredor, the president of Red Eléctrica.
During the early hours of the Senate session, Aagesen found herself at the center of controversy following an incident from the previous day, in which PP Senator Francisco Bernabé presented her with a bag of black sand, symbolizing complaints regarding toxic sediment in the Portmán bay of La Unión, Murcia.
The PSOE condemned this act, which further intensified the scrutiny on Aagesen, particularly regarding the blackout.
Senators from the PP and Vox argued that the government is concealing essential information about the outage and is incompetent in managing the investigation.
José Ramón Díez de Revenga, a PP senator, expressed strong sentiments on the matter, stating, "Spain went dark.
This is not a metaphor; it reflects the current dysfunction in our country." The presence of the secretive agenda surrounding the investigation echoed in statements made by other PP members, asserting that the government cannot provide answers regarding the blackout.
This investigation commission marks the fourth such initiative launched by the PP in the Senate, joining three others focused on different issues, including the Koldo case and the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS).
The ongoing investigation into the harsh weather event affecting the Valencian community is progressing slowly, with only technical experts having been summoned to date.
The PP has yet to schedule appearances from key officials, including Pedro Sánchez and others with state-level responsibilities, although requests were made earlier in the investigation.
The PSOE and other coalition partners have highlighted the delay regarding the investigation into the DANA (cold drop phenomenon), utilizing it to substantiate their critiques of the emerging blackout inquiry.
Enric Morera of Compromís pointedly questioned the efficacy of launching a new investigation while Carlos Mazón, the Valencian president, had yet to appear before the ongoing inquiry into the DANA.
In parallel, a related DANA investigation commission was initiated in the Congress of Deputies on the same day.
This represents the third parliamentary inquiry into the situation, following the ones in the Senate and the Valencian Cortes, which are also controlled by the PP and Vox.
The new commission in Congress, presided over by the PSOE, is expected to include prominent figures from the Popular Party, highlighting the ongoing political struggle surrounding the events and their aftermath.
Her presentation was requested by the Popular Party (PP) and followed her previous testimony in Congress just a week earlier.
The term "apagón" resonated throughout the day, underscoring the urgency and significance of the matter.
Later in the day, the Senate debated a commission of investigation designed to elucidate the causes of the blackout.
This initiative, driven by the PP, secured approval with 151 votes in favor, comprising support from the PP and Vox, while 93 votes were against and 13 abstained.
As of now, a timeline for the committee's activities remains undisclosed, although parliamentary sources from the PP indicate a strong likelihood of summonses for both Aagesen and Beatriz Corredor, the president of Red Eléctrica.
During the early hours of the Senate session, Aagesen found herself at the center of controversy following an incident from the previous day, in which PP Senator Francisco Bernabé presented her with a bag of black sand, symbolizing complaints regarding toxic sediment in the Portmán bay of La Unión, Murcia.
The PSOE condemned this act, which further intensified the scrutiny on Aagesen, particularly regarding the blackout.
Senators from the PP and Vox argued that the government is concealing essential information about the outage and is incompetent in managing the investigation.
José Ramón Díez de Revenga, a PP senator, expressed strong sentiments on the matter, stating, "Spain went dark.
This is not a metaphor; it reflects the current dysfunction in our country." The presence of the secretive agenda surrounding the investigation echoed in statements made by other PP members, asserting that the government cannot provide answers regarding the blackout.
This investigation commission marks the fourth such initiative launched by the PP in the Senate, joining three others focused on different issues, including the Koldo case and the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS).
The ongoing investigation into the harsh weather event affecting the Valencian community is progressing slowly, with only technical experts having been summoned to date.
The PP has yet to schedule appearances from key officials, including Pedro Sánchez and others with state-level responsibilities, although requests were made earlier in the investigation.
The PSOE and other coalition partners have highlighted the delay regarding the investigation into the DANA (cold drop phenomenon), utilizing it to substantiate their critiques of the emerging blackout inquiry.
Enric Morera of Compromís pointedly questioned the efficacy of launching a new investigation while Carlos Mazón, the Valencian president, had yet to appear before the ongoing inquiry into the DANA.
In parallel, a related DANA investigation commission was initiated in the Congress of Deputies on the same day.
This represents the third parliamentary inquiry into the situation, following the ones in the Senate and the Valencian Cortes, which are also controlled by the PP and Vox.
The new commission in Congress, presided over by the PSOE, is expected to include prominent figures from the Popular Party, highlighting the ongoing political struggle surrounding the events and their aftermath.
Translation:
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