The DANA crisis and the agreement between PP and EPP block Ribera’s appointment to the Commission

Ane Barkos/Julio García/Eduardo González In a process clearly marked by the DANA crisis, the People’s Party (PP) has managed this Tuesday that its colleagues in the ranks in the EU, the European People's Party (EPP), do not support, for the moment, the appointment of Teresa Ribera as executive vice president for the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition of the European Commission, which implies the postponement, at least for a week, of the decision of the European Parliament on the rest of the vice presidents of the future Commission, since it is voted on as a block. Teresa Ribera, the third vice-president of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, needs the support of two thirds of the coordinators of the parliamentary commissions that examine her and, taking into account the current configuration of the European Parliament, this will imply the support not only of socialists, liberals and greens, but of the EPP itself. The European People's Party has confirmed that "today the candidacy of Teresa Ribera as executive vice-president and Commissioner for Competition will not be approved" in Brussels, according to sources from the European Parliament informed several Spanish media. With this decision, agreed between the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the leader of the European People’s Party, the German Manfred Weber, the formation of the community executive is paralyzed, at least "for weeks", and, above all, the great historical pact of the centrist parties of the European Union is put at risk. The European PP argues that Ribera's assessment has been temporarily blocked until she gives full explanations on the DANA in the Congress of Deputies. The Spanish PP has warned that the vice-president's inaction since the beginning of the drama "invalidates" her from accessing a position in the European Union. The Spanish PP has harshly criticised Ribera for not having travelled to the area or appearing before the media or the Cortes to explain the actions of her Ministry. In addition, two organisations dependent on Teresa Ribera's Department, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, have been called into question for their actions during the isolated depression at high levels (DANA) at the end of October, which caused more than 200 deaths in eastern Spain, mostly in the Valencian Community. The EPP also denounced on Tuesday that “in view of this, the socialists have taken the rest of the commissioners hostage, blocking the entire community government.” Specifically, the European Popular Party is referring to the decision of the PSOE to respond to the blockade of Ribera by vetoing, for its part, the candidacy of Raffaelle Fitto, the candidate of the Italian Giorgia Meloni (ECR) for economic vice-president. In these circumstances, none of the last six candidates for the college of commissioners, the candidates for the vice-presidencies, are in a position to pass their exam on Tuesday. The debate During his speech, Ribera was the subject of strong criticism for his management during the DANA crisis, which affected several Spanish communities and caused more than 200 deaths. Partido Popular (PP) and Vox accused Ribera and the Spanish Government of a lack of foresight and immediate response and of not having taken the necessary measures to mitigate the effects of this meteorological phenomenon. On a day marked by controversy and political tensions, Ribera defended his actions before the MEPs who questioned his management. In addition, during the hearing, the MEPs questioned Ribera about his approach to leading the ecological transition in the European Union, his vision on the management of natural resources and his ability to coordinate climate change policies at the European level. The Spanish candidate presented her approach to Competition and the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, highlighting her commitment to reviewing the effects of large corporations on the price crisis, especially in relation to unfair prices and market concentration. She underlined the need to implement competition policies that protect consumers, favour sustainable investments and improve the quality of life of Europeans. In her role as Competition Commissioner, she also stressed the importance of optimising the European electricity market without introducing immediate reforms, focusing on improving energy interconnections and optimising existing infrastructures. For Ribera, ensuring low prices and efficient supply is crucial, especially after the recent energy crisis. Her proposal is to learn from those lessons and apply long-term solutions for market stability. Ribera proposed the Clean Industrial Pact as a key axis of her mandate, highlighting the regulation of energy prices and the promotion of the decarbonisation of traditional industry. She also stated that the circular economy must be a central pillar in this process and that legislation must be aligned with these objectives in order to achieve an effective, sustainable and competitive industrial transition. She stressed that the European Green Deal must be a shared and continuous effort. In her opinion, for this initiative to be successful, there must be clear objectives and firm commitments from all member countries, and it must not only be an aspiration, but practical action in all sectors of the economy, especially in industry and the energy transition, which must be sustainable and fair. The most difficult questions arose when MEPs, especially those from the EPP, criticised her management of the DANA. EPP representatives considered the Spanish government's response to be insufficient and asked for explanations on the lack of preventive measures that could have mitigated the effects of the disaster. Some MEPs explicitly asked Ribera what she would do if she were charged for her management of the DANA in Valencia. The Spanish delegation, in a message published on X before the hearing, pointed out that "a bad minister cannot be a good commissioner." The day ends without an agreement on the confirmation of Teresa Ribera as Commissioner for the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition. The tensions over her management of the DANA, added to the political interests of the different European parties, suggest that the resolution of her candidacy could take longer. The blocking of Ribera's candidacy not only represents a personal challenge for the minister, but also puts the configuration of the new European executive at risk. The coordinators of the commissions in charge of the hearings of the candidates for vice-presidencies, held this Tuesday, have decided to postpone the deliberations. The European People's Party argues that Ribera's lack of action in the face of the DANA crisis "invalidates" her from assuming responsibility for the ecological transition in Europe. Albares For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reproached on Tuesday the “irresponsibility, lack of loyalty and lack of patriotism” of the PP for its attempt to block the appointment of the third vice-president and responsible for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, as European commissioner. “It is irresponsible, a lack of loyalty and a lack of patriotism,” Albares declared in the corridors of the Senate. “What Spain and Europe need is unity and we need a Commission as soon as possible with candidates like Teresa Ribera,” he added to the press after appearing in the plenary session of the Upper House.

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