The Spanish MEPs of the Popular Party voted this Wednesday against the regulation of the trans-European transport network, which includes both the Mediterranean corridor and the Atlantic corridor. The vote in the European Parliament went ahead with 565 votes in favor, 37 against and 29 abstentions. Of the 37 votes against, 14 are votes from Spanish parliamentarians from the European People's Party, such as former popular ministers Pilar del Castillo, Juan Ignacio Zoido or José Manuel García-Margallo. The rest of the MEPs of the European popular group have voted in favor.
The final agreement did not include a series of transport infrastructures that the popular Spanish delegation considered essential for the structuring of the Spanish territory, such as, for example, the Granada - Motril section or the Santiago - Vigo - Ourense section of rail freight transport, reason for which they voted against.
Likewise, seven members of the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists, which includes four Vox MEPs, have also voted against. Also 11 other members of the Left Group in the European Parliament, among which there are deputies from Podemos and Izquierda Unida and BNG.
The agreement that has gone ahead contemplates priority points for Spain such as the establishment of mandatory requirements to improve the railway service, such as having longer and more frequent trains, both for goods and passengers. With regard to the Valencian Community, the text includes connections from the Alicante airport or the port of Castelló as priorities.
On social networks, the Government commissioner for the Mediterranean corridor, Josep Vicent Boira, has criticized the result: "History repeats itself: the European parliamentarians of the PP have just voted against the Mediterranean Corridor in Brussels, as Ana Pastor did in 2012. I do not understand your negative vote. And it hurts me as coordinator of the Mediterranean Corridor. We will continue working for this project," he published.
The socialist MEP Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero has also questioned this performance and has assured that "Mazón's support for the Mediterranean corridor is fake. He sends his party more in Madrid." Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Industry, the former Valencian councilor Rebeca Torró, has commented on the same social network that "the PP drops its mask by voting against the Mediterranean corridor in Brussels."
