Spain: Óscar Puente announces his resignation after Urda
· BehindLines newsroom
Spain's Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, announced on Tuesday 3 November that he will leave his post, six days after the train collision at Urda, south of Madrid. According to Reuters and France 24, he did not say when his departure would take effect. The announcement therefore marks a political decision without setting a timetable for the transition at the head of the ministry.
Speaking to lawmakers, Puente also said he was withdrawing from the candidate lists for the early general election, scheduled for 29 November according to France 24. He had previously ruled out resigning.
He explained that a transport minister cannot remain in office after two accidents of such gravity in less than a year. According to Reuters, he says he made his decision after the 28 October collision, while continuing to serve in order to deal with its consequences and prevent further accidents. This timeline is his own account.
Before his announcement, Puente had presented an extraordinary plan to strengthen high-speed rail safety, along with aid for survivors and victims' families, according to France 24. Presenting these measures does not prove they have taken effect.
The episode comes against a heavy backdrop: according to France 24, this is Spain's second major rail accident of the year, after the one at Adamuz, in Andalusia, on 18 January, which killed 46 people. The Partido Popular, the main opposition party, reacted through its spokesperson Ester Muñoz, who judged the resignation too late and called for the government of Pedro Sánchez to be ousted in the 29 November vote. This is a partisan reaction and does not settle the question of responsibility.
Reuters and France 24 report at least 69 deaths as of 3 November. The announced resignation alone allows no conclusion about the causes of the collision or about individual responsibility. Those questions remain separate from the minister's decision.