Most of the parties that supported Pedro Sánchez’s investiture called on Transport and Sustainable Mobility Minister Óscar Puente to resign during his appearance before the Congress’s Permanent Deputation on Tuesday, following the Urda accident. EH Bildu and Junts did not make that request during the hearing, although Junts had demanded his departure days earlier and described his resignation as unavoidable.
Sumar, Esquerra Republicana and the Basque Nationalist Party acknowledged that Puente had faced the issue publicly, but argued that he should take responsibility by leaving office. Sumar spokesperson Verónica Martínez Barbero said resignation would not amount to an admission of guilt, but would be an appropriate response to the responsibilities of the post. She said the issue reflected a broader problem with the system and its management. Izquierda Unida’s Toni Valero also called for the rail sector to be nationalised, blaming liberalisation in part for the situation.
ERC’s Gabriel Rufián stopped short of explicitly using the word “resign,” but said someone had to take responsibility. He argued that the debate over Puente’s future was secondary to a wider problem, and criticised both the PP and PSOE over rail maintenance and liberalisation. Rufián also faulted the government over the release of audio recordings related to events before the Urda accident, saying they had contributed to harming a worker.
Junts spokesperson Miriam Nogueras blamed successive governments for what her party describes as a railway collapse, citing years of underinvestment, poor management and inadequate planning. She also criticised the balance of spending between high-speed rail and commuter services, and said transferring the entire Rodalies network to Catalonia would be a non-negotiable condition for any future government.
EH Bildu’s Mertxe Aizpurua said her party would not join what she called electoral dynamics of assigning blame before the facts were established. She urged lawmakers to wait for the investigation, noting that many questions remained unanswered, and said responsibilities should be demanded once the causes are known.
The PNV’s Mikel Legarda said deterioration and safety concerns predated the accident and called for significant, visible changes. He also told Puente that it was his responsibility to resign and take charge of what had happened. In the Mixed Group, Podemos leader Ione Belarra and BNG’s Néstor Rego likewise called for the minister to step aside; Belarra said there was broad public agreement that he should go.
Sources: La Vanguardia.