أعلن وزير النقل الإسباني أوسكار بوينتي، الثلاثاء، استقالته من منصبه، بعد نحو أسبوع من كارثة اصطدام قطارين أودت بـ69 شخصاً على الأقل، في ثاني حادث خطير تشهده شبكة السكك الحديدية الإسبانية هذا العام، وفق «وكالة الصحافة الفرنسية».
وقال الوزير في ختام جلسة مطوّلة أمام النواب: «أودّ إبلاغكم بأنني لا أتخلّى عن مهامي وزيراً للنقل فحسب، بل أتخلّى أيضاً عن الترشّح» للانتخابات التشريعية المبكرة المقرّرة في 29 نوفمبر (تشرين الثاني).
Since the disaster, he had repeatedly ruled out submitting his resignation.
وأضاف: «لا يمكن لوزير النقل في بلد مثل إسبانيا أن يبقى في منصبه بعد حادثين بهذه الخطورة في أقل من عام، مهما اختلفا، وسواء كنت أتحمّل مسؤولية مباشرة عنهما أم لا»، مشيراً أيضا إلى كارثة أداموث التي أوقعت 46 قتيلاً في يناير (كانون الثاني) في الأندلس بجنوب البلاد.
He continued: “It is a matter of political dignity, consistency and compassion for the victims.”
وأكّد: «اتّخذت قراري بشأن مستقبلي في الدقائق الأولى التي أعقبت المأساة، فور علمي بها».
وأضاف: «أُعلن هذا القرار اليوم في المكان الأنسب لذلك، مقرّ السيادة الوطنية، بعدما أنجزت ما اعتبرته العمل الأكثر إلحاحاً والذي لا يحتمل التأجيل: إجراء التحقيقات الأولية... واتّخاذ أول التدابير لتعويض (الضحايا) وتحسين سلامة شبكة السكك الحديدية لدينا على المدى القصير، قدر الإمكان».
وكان بوينتي عرض أمام الصحافيين صباح الثلاثاء، عقب اجتماع مجلس الوزراء، «خطة استثنائية لتعزيز سلامة شبكة القطارات الفائقة السرعة»، إلى جانب حزمة مساعدات للناجين وعائلات الضحايا.
وأكّد أن الحكومة ستعمل «بلا كلل» من أجل «استعادة ثقة» السكان بشبكة القطارات الفائقة السرعة الإسبانية.
The Ukrainian Public Prosecution announced, on Tuesday, that the former spokeswoman for the Ukrainian president, Yulia Mendel, has been charged with “high treason,” who in recent years has become one of the most prominent figures criticizing him, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
Mendel (40 years old) served as Zelensky's spokeswoman between 2019 and 2021, during the first years of his assumption of power. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Mendel has increased her public criticism of the Ukrainian president, accusing him of corruption and increasing authoritarianism.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said via the Telegram application, “Public prosecutors... collected sufficient evidence to inform the former media official of the Ukrainian president that she is a suspect in a case of high treason and to justify the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.”
He added, "Mendel is accused of exploiting her fame and experience...to publish statements supportive of the aggressor state, with the aim of distorting the image of Ukraine."
Investigators take Mendel in particular for her statement that “there is no freedom of expression” in Ukraine, and that the country is moving “towards extinction.” They also accuse her of talking about people she says “make fortunes from continuing the war,” and of her referring to “political favoritism” and “persecution of opponents” in Ukraine.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, these statements fall within “speech in Russia’s interest,” which would “reinforce the disappointment and frustration of Ukrainian society.”
Mendel denied these accusations in a message via Telegram, noting that the wording of the accusation “proves that she is right.”
She added: “This is the price of freedom of expression and trying to save Ukraine under Zelensky’s regime.”
Last September, Zelensky imposed sanctions on Mendel, who is currently residing outside the country.
Mendel previously praised Zelensky, but she changed her position on him in recent years, accusing him of being “the biggest beneficiary of the war” and “one of the most prominent obstacles to peace.”
Unions and associations concerned with the right to housing from 7 European countries called on Tuesday in Paris to organize “coordinated demonstrations throughout Europe” to protest the high cost of living, on November 20, 21 and 22, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse. Following scattered demonstrations in several European countries, representatives of organizations from Spain, France, Italy, Britain, Portugal, Greece and Belgium expressed during a meeting in Paris their hope of mobilizing “millions” of people in the streets.
Carme Arcarazo, spokeswoman for the Federation of Spanish Tenants’ Unions, the party convening this meeting, said during a press conference: “We have decided to coordinate among ourselves to move forward jointly.” The main demands revolve around “ensuring the right to housing” and “controlling the prices of housing, food, and energy.” It also includes broader social and political demands, such as increased wages and pensions.
Arcarazo explained that the demands also include “ensuring public services, especially education, health, and public housing,” the “right to work” without “excluding immigrants,” and calling for “imposing taxes on the rich,” in addition to demanding “an end to armaments policies” and stopping the development of “fossil energy.” In Spain, the main unions called a general strike on November 11, with the aim of advancing their demands related to housing and wages before the early legislative elections scheduled for November 29.
من جانبه، قال بنجامين بال، عضو «تنسيقية السترات الصفراء» الذي حضر الاجتماع أيضاً: «سننزل إلى الشوارع بالملايين لنُظهر أن الشعوب هي التي يجب أن تتولى القيادة، لا المليارديرات».
European organizations denounce the "wild rise in the cost of living" and the absence of government measures necessary to confront this situation. In Italy, Chiara Capretti, from the USP union, pointed out that the movement began among the port workers, then expanded to culminate in a general strike on October 30, which saw hundreds of thousands of students and workers go out in demonstrations. She said: “The government does not provide a response to anyone.”
