The Minister of Social Rights, Carles Campuzano, will have to appear before the Parliament’s committee for having promised to build a second public residence in Santa Coloma de Gramenet in an event with Gabriel Rufián, Republican Left candidate for mayor of the town.
During a visit to Terrassa, the minister assured yesterday that the Generalitat supports the creation of new residences for the elderly “mani qui mani” in the municipalities. “It escapes me where the controversy can come from, because what I said in Santa Coloma de Gramenet is what I say in all the municipalities I visit”, emphasized Campuzano, who added that “there can be no partisanship ” in this matter.
Last weekend, at an ERC event – although Campuzano is independent -, the councilor pledged to promote a new residence for the elderly. The Twitter profile of the republican formation in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, in addition, linked the construction of the residence to a good result for the republicans in the upcoming elections in May. For this reason, all the groups, except ERC, voted yesterday at a meeting of the Social Rights Commission in favor of the urgent appearance of the councilor, who this week has received criticism following this matter, especially from the PSC, which he governs the city with Núria Parlón, and Junts per Catalunya, two formations that do not rule out promoting his disapproval.
But not only these two groups have triggered Campuzano, the other formations have also criticized the linking of a second geriatric residence in the municipality of Barcelonès with a good ERC result.
In the session that took place yesterday, ERC was left alone trying to stop the urgent appearance of the councillor, who will be the one to set the date for the session. In his speech, the republican deputy Bartomeu Compte recommended to the other groups – who these days labeled the announcement that was published on the networks “electoral blackmail”, “sectarianism” or “indignity”, among other qualifiers – to listen the completeness and literalness of Campuzano’s statements in relation to the residence.
“We know that Santa Coloma needs a second residence”, said Campuzano at the event, and indicated that “the City Council needs to have the will to build it”. If there is this will, said the minister, “we will agree with the Generalitat and the City Council to build this second residence and to guarantee public financing”. However, ERC’s profile in the municipality linked the construction of the geriatric center to the fact that his party will be decisive in the next mandate with Rufián, who after the barrage of criticism pointed out that it was not a promise of the Government of Pere Aragonès.
With this whole matter, the socialists are very “upset”, and they say that the residence has been claimed by Parlón City Council several times since 2012 and, as they say, has been refused. That is why they criticize the fact that the councilor is now taking advantage of a campaign event with Rufián to promise its construction. On Thursday Campuzano will meet with Parlón, in a meeting requested several times and agreed before the controversy.