The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has been one of the protagonists of the political day. First in Congress, where in the absence of the rest of his colleagues on the Council of Ministers he had a rather heated verbal exchange with the PP spokesperson, Miguel Tellado, who reproached him for the “little shame” of asking Marimar Blanco, a relative of a victim of ETA’s terrorist violence, to “recover the spirit of Ermua.” And then in the Senate, where the absolute majority of the popular bench has endorsed his disapproval with 148 votes in favor, 96 against and 16 abstentions.
Tellado has described Marlaska as “heartless” and has asked him “what else has to happen for him to assume his responsibility and resign” after the death of two civil guards in Barbate run over by a powerful drug boat when they were occupying a “tiny boat.” An event that has been related to the lack of sufficient means and personnel to fight against drug trafficking in the Strait. The PP leader has therefore questioned the “honor” of the minister, who has defended himself by arguing that the governments of José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy undertook a reduction of the force of up to 13,000 agents and that they allocated public funds to “controversial operations.” in reference to the espionage of Catalan independence leaders and the fabrication of false evidence by the so-called patriotic police during Jorge Fernández Díaz’s time in the Ministry of the Interior.
The Minister of the Interior has also argued that the PP uses the armed institute and imputes very serious acts to its commanders: “That says a lot about your ethics and your character and what you want from the Civil Guard,” Marlaska responded. who has reiterated that the investigation into what happened is underway and no conclusions can yet be drawn from “a tragedy used for political gain” by the opposition. “We are doing a dignified and honest job at the service of the State security forces and bodies, and therefore at the service of Spain,” stressed the head of the Interior, accusing the PP of being “installed in lies and demagoguery” and of “using pain for partisan interests.” “You are what patriots, I am not going to trivialize this matter like you do,” he stated.
Marlaska has also suffered the attacks of Esteban González Pons wondering “what remains of that judge who persecuted ETA after the Government’s political association with Bildu.” “Where did he lose his principles?” asked the Valencian deputy, who has assured that the two agents who died in the Strait did so because the minister did not provide them with sufficient means to defend themselves from “murderous beasts.”
“Did you give the order for them to go into the water with a boat and do what they could? This Parliament should respond first if it was like that,” said Pons, for whom Marlaska, whom he accused of “changing sides”, is the politically responsible for which he has demanded the opening of an internal investigation into the causes of the dismantling of the elite unit of the Civil Guard in the fight against drug trafficking. “Is there anyone left in Spain who has not asked you to resign? Wouldn’t you prefer to leave a minute earlier?”
Pons’ question remained unanswered by Marlaska, who at that time was the only minister present in Congress. But the gauntlet was picked up by the PP in the Senate, which carried out the disapproval of the head of the Interior. The first of the legislature but the second in a year after the one that occurred after the massive jump on the Melilla fence, in June 2022, where 23 people died.
