Spain: transport minister resigns after Urda train crash

Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has resigned. The announcement came at the end of a hearing before the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish parliament, which lasted more than four hours. The session was devoted to the train accident of 28 October in Urda, in the province of Toledo, in which two high-speed trains collided.

In his closing remarks, Puente made clear that his resignation was not limited to his ministerial post. The minister had been designated the Socialist Party's lead candidate for the Valladolid constituency ahead of the general election on 29 November, and he announced that he was giving up that candidacy as well. In Spain, the lead candidate is the person who heads a party's list in a constituency and has the best chance of being elected: giving up this role therefore amounts to a political step back as well as a resignation from government. Addressing the deputies, Puente said: "Lascio non solo il ministero ma anche il posto di capolista socialista per Valladolid alle elezioni generali del 29 novembre" (I am leaving not only the ministry but also my place as the Socialist lead candidate for Valladolid in the general election of 29 November).

The toll of the accident

The collision between the two high-speed trains in Urda caused at least 69 casualties. It was this toll that deputies questioned the minister about at length during the hearing.

Until today's session, Puente had repeatedly rejected calls to step down, which had come on several occasions since the accident. His resignation, announced directly before the Congress of Deputies, brings an end to weeks in which the minister had remained in office despite political pressure to resign.

Giving up the Valladolid candidacy means the Socialist Party will now have to name a new lead candidate for that constituency, just weeks before the general election on 29 November. The Spanish government, in turn, will have to find a successor to head the transport ministry.