Yesterday, all Valencian political parties showed unity of action in the face of the harsh tragedy of the fire in a building in Valencia that has caused ten deaths and hundreds of victims. Both the PSPV and Compromís made proposals that Carlos Mazón accepted to address the improvement of Emergency response mechanisms in the face of tragedies such as the one experienced last week. Only an unfortunate intervention by Joan Baldoví altered the climate of a debate whose priority was to give the best coverage to the victims.
The first sign of collaboration was shown in the control session to the Council by José Muñoz, Ombudsman of the PSPV, who offered "maximum collaboration to repair the damage to the more than 100 affected families" as well as a "great pact on Emergencies that will serve us to prevent tragedies like the one we are experiencing". The socialist made it clear that his group was giving up asking control questions to offer "a hand because it is time to demonstrate to Valencian society that we are capable of putting aside our differences to face adversity."
Muñoz recalled, however, that the management of the PP subway accident, in which 43 people died in 2006, "left much to be desired." To then emphasize that "strong public services that are paid for with taxes" are needed or to vindicate the trial and withdrawal law approved by the Botànic and that has served to relocate the 131 families in Safranar. "Today [the PP] would not appeal to the Constitutional Court," he stated.
Mazón, who accepted the help of the PSPV, admitted to having felt "at some point a little disconcerted by some allusions" in clear reference to the subway accident. But he appreciated that "today what it is about is being at the foot of the path" and in that sense he recalled that from the beginning of his mandate he has been "throwing gloves" to the opposition of "agreements and joint work for important things, above of the daily brawl or rhetorical adversity".
The president pointed out, regarding the PSPV proposal, that "it is a line in which I have been working for a long time and in which I believe it is fundamental." In that sense, he regretted that this misfortune had to occur to talk about pacts: "I hope this serves to teach us all a lesson." "I try to rise to the occasion," he added, and narrated that on a personal level he never stops "reflecting" on how he can "live up to this and what our people need."
The interventions of both Muñoz and the president of the Generalitat provoked applause from the right-wing and socialist benches. A scenario of unity that has not been seen in the Valencian chamber for a long time.
The Ombudsman of Compromís, Joan Baldoví, also offered his help to the Consell to improve the management of tragedies and requested that a Study Commission be created to analyze what can be improved and what caused the Campanar building fire to be so accelerated. "We want to find answers and not so much look for blame."
The climate of the debate was going well until Baldoví made his second intervention. "The puritita ideology," said the Ombudsman of Compromís, in reference to some words spoken by the Vox spokesperson, José María Llanos. He was referring to the fact that the homes that he has provided at Valencia City Council were acquired by trial and error, something promoted by the previous left-wing Government. "This has allowed us to immediately relocate the victims of the fire." And he added that "thanks to that, Mrs. (María José) Catalá (mayor of València), you who are taking photos, have been able to manage the homes."
The president in his reply said that: "I was wondering how long it would take for the political reproach to appear in this chamber and I have already seen it. I don't know what you expect me to say after this intervention. I am not going to get into this, I renounce my time". Response that was applauded by the PP bench. After other recriminations from Compromís, the second vice president of the Consell, Susana Camarero (PP), said that Baldoví's party "loses its form" and that on days like this "they show their true face." "Today what we are concerned about are the victims and you have shown that you do not care," she said.
