Spanish politicians clash as Teresa Ribera addresses parliament over Valencia flood response

A heated debate ensued on Wednesday as Teresa Ribera, Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges, addressed the Spanish Parliament over the emergency response to the disastrous floods in Valencia.

The centre-right People's Party (PP) accused Ribera and prime minister Pedro Sánchez's government for failing to act adequately in its emergency response. A key point of contention is the disaster management works in the Poyo ravine, one of the worst hit areas of the floods.

Miguel Tellado of the PP called Ribera "selfish" and "incompetent" for not completing planned emergency works there that could have prevented deaths. However, Ribera quickly responded by saying the PP was to blame instead.

"Do you know when we came closest to solving the Poyo ravine works? When Teresa Ribera, as Secretary of State, signed the only positive Environmental Impact Declaration for these works in December 2011. And you let it fall," she said, adding that "the directive expired in 2017 due to the lack of action by the government of Mr. Mariano Rajoy. And from our first day in 2018 we have restarted the emergency works."

Spanish law dictates that regional governments are responsible for emergency management. That's why Ribera blames the centre-right regional president Carlos Mazón for the inadequate emergency response to the floods in Valencia.

During the hearing, Ribera responded to claims made by Mazón of an "information blackout". She said that "between 16:26 and 20:12, the Confederation issued 9 messages warning of record rainfall in the ravine. There was never an information blackout."

The issue has also spilled over into European politics, as Ribera has been nominated to become the new vice-president of the European Commission for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition.

The European People's Party has followed Spain's PP in pointing fingers at Ribera, posing a risk to her candidacy for the Commissionner position.