New maneuver of the PP to discredit the Government. But this time the tone escalates regarding Doñana. The head of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, has charged the European Commission, chaired by the German member of his political family, Ursula von der Leyen, for what he considers “partisan behavior” in favor of Pedro Sánchez. “What we have seen from the commissioner is unacceptable,” he said after the conservative leaders met this Tuesday and this Wednesday with the person in charge of the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, to address the situation in Doñana. “Everyone wants solutions, but what I see today is partisan behavior by the Commission and, especially, by the commissioner,” Weber exploded. The Spanish delegation has asked the community government to “refrain from partisan communications” about Doñana in view of the proximity of the municipal and regional elections.
Andalusia admits that the EU does not like its plan for Doñana but slips that the European Commission allowed itself to be “pressured”
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The head of the conservatives has gone so far as to accuse the commissioner, a member of the Union of Lithuanian Peasants and Greens party, of having put on “the red shirt to campaign for Pedro Sánchez.” This is how Weber has pronounced after Brussels has harshly criticized the law promoted by the Andalusian Government, through the PP and Vox in Parliament, to pardon the illegal irrigation of Doñana. After meeting with the Andalusian minister, the Commission reiterated that the proposal goes in the “opposite direction” to the ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU that condemned Spain for the plunder of water from the aquifer and warned of the “disastrous effects” that that legislation would have if it goes into effect. They have not addressed this, according to the PP spokeswoman, Dolors Montserrat: “We have not spoken and they have not mentioned it to us.”
After the harsh statements made by the representatives of the PP, Sinkevičius has indicated via Twitter that his message remains the same as the one he disseminated after the meetings he held with the different representatives on Doñana. The European official has ensured that the European Commission “acts as an impartial guardian of the Treaty” and that the “implementation of the Court’s ruling is a priority” due to the importance of the natural park for Spain and for the European Union.
Doñana is important for Spain & the EU.
I met with @RamonFPM, @Teresaribera, @manfredweber, @IratxeGarper & @DolorsMM to listen to all parties.
My message is the same: @EU_Commission acts as impartial guardian of the Treaty & the implementation of 🇪🇺 Court’s ruling is a priority.— Virginijus Sinkevičius (@VSinkevicius) April 26, 2023
The battle for Doñana has reached the community capital. In addition to the meeting with the regional manager, the commissioner received the third vice president, Teresa Ribera, last week. This same Wednesday he has received the head of the Socialists and Democrats, the Spanish Iratxe García, who has reiterated the Government’s message that the Junta must withdraw that proposal. García has also been received by the vice president and head of the Green Pact, Frans Timmermans, from the Social Democratic family, who has not agreed to meet with the representatives of the European People’s Party.
Sinkevičius received Weber this Tuesday and 24 hours later he met with the spokesperson for Feijóo’s PP, Dolors Montserrat, and MEP Juan Ignacio Zoido. Montserrat has demanded that the commissioner “refrain from making partisan communications during the electoral campaign” about Doñana. The former minister was referring to the letter from the Director General of the Environment who, in mid-March, warned the Government that the PP and Vox proposal would entail a “flagrant violation” of the terms of the CJEU ruling. But, above all, he has emphasized the parliamentary response that the commissioner gave to the MEPs who asked about this matter and in which he warned that the European Commission would adopt all the measures “at its disposal” to force compliance with the ruling , in reference to multi-million dollar fines. “We were surprised that on the same day that the Prime Minister [Pedro Sánchez] arrived in Doñana the response from the Commission arrived”, said Montserrat.
“We are seeing partisan movements towards the PSOE in the Commission. We are on campaign. Serenity, calm and tranquility are needed”, added Montserrat. The Commission has acted from the moment the proposal to pardon irrigation was brought to the Andalusian Parliament, which was admitted for processing just two months before the elections with the majority of PP and Vox.
“The commissioner has recognized that it is obvious that the Government of Spain has to sit down with the Junta de Andalucía. From here we ask the vice president to stop the attacks on the Junta de Andalucía and all Andalusians and sit down with the Junta to work for the good of all ”, Montserrat has settled. Teresa Ribera has ruled out meeting with the Andalusian government until she “throws away” the proposal on Doñana.
Source: www.eldiario.es
