Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has resigned after two rail accidents in less than a year, saying he could not remain in office following last Wednesday’s tragedy. He announced his decision at the end of a four-hour parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, telling Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez by message that he would not run in the November 29 election.
Puente said he had made the decision in the first minutes after the crash, describing his departure as a matter of political dignity and sympathy for the victims. The accident killed 69 people, according to the report.
Sánchez had not asked Puente to resign. The prime minister said on Wednesday that Puente’s decision would help restore confidence in Spain’s rail system. He also criticised the conservative opposition, pointing to its leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s continued support for Valencia regional president Carlos Mazón after his handling of a devastating flood two years ago. Mazón resigned a year later.
Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo, who is also one of Sánchez’s deputies, will take charge of the transport ministry until the election. Cuerpo is an independent technocrat and, according to the report, one of Spain’s most popular ministers.
The opposition said Puente’s resignation was not enough. The right-wing Vox party and Feijóo called for Sánchez to step down, while Feijóo described Puente’s parliamentary appearance as a “farce.”
Puente, a former mayor of Valladolid and one of Sánchez’s closest allies, was also a prominent defender of the prime minister on social media. Sánchez’s left-wing coalition partners welcomed his departure as an opportunity, while the opposition continued to demand political change. Sánchez wrote on X that the “ultra-right wave” Feijóo and Vox leader Santiago Abascal hoped to ride was breaking down.
Sources: FAZ.