The minister communicated his decision to the president minutes before announcing it

Óscar Puente informed Pedro Sánchez of his decision to resign as Minister of Transport just a few minutes before announcing it publicly at the end of his appearance this Tuesday before the Permanent Deputation of Congress. This is what Puente himself explained to journalists, at the end of a session that lasted more than four hours and that concluded with his resignation, also, to lead the PSOE candidacy for Valladolid in the November 29 elections.

The notice to the president came shortly before the announcement, although, according to the minister, he had made the decision in the first minutes after the Urda train accident, which occurred on October 28. "I made the decision about my future in the first minutes after the tragedy, as I was heading to the Adif control center, so I let my family know," he said.

"A Transport Minister of a country like Spain cannot continue in his position with two accidents of this severity in one year"

Puente reserved the announcement for the closing of his parliamentary intervention, when he went on to address "exclusively" his political responsibility. "Mine," he specified. "A Transport Minister of a country like Spain cannot continue in his position with two accidents of this severity in one year," he stated.

Resignation against all odds

The resignation occurred after Moncloa had settled the debate on his departure. After the Council of Ministers meeting this Tuesday, the Executive defended that the "responsible" thing was for Puente to continue leading the department to "regain trust" and do "what is expected of leaders" at the head of the institutions.

The minister himself had not then anticipated the announcement that he would make a few hours later in Congress, although he had not strictly ruled out his resignation.

Puente justified having waited until this Tuesday due to the need to attend to the "most urgent and unpostponable" work of the first investigations and adopt the first measures to improve railway safety in the short term, approved by the Council of Ministers. Later, he chose Congress to make his departure public, considering that it was "the place where it makes the most sense." When asked by journalists when he was leaving Congress about when he informed Sánchez, he indicated: "a few minutes ago."

"It will be a sad moment for him (Sánchez)"

In his farewell, Puente thanked Sánchez for his "trust" and alluded to the impact his resignation would have on the president. "I know it will be a sad moment for him, one more on this path of light and shadows that is political life," he said.