King's Christmas address - reactions

(Photo: casareal.es)

MADRID His Majesty King Juan Carlos gave his traditional Christmas speech at 9pm on Christmas Eve (which is when most Spaniards are sitting at the table for their celebration). It was watched by 7.16 million people, according to the ratings. Most of the reactions by politicians and the media refer to the fact that the speech included a reference to the Royal Household's problems with the King's son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, who is being investigated for 'deviating public funds' and has been 'demoted' from Royal appearances and found a job in the US. Practically the only criticism of the speech is that there was too little reference to the fact that the terrorist group ETA says it has abandoned 'violence'. There was, certainly, much referring to the economy and how 'we must all pull together in the same direction' (not HM's words, just our conclusion).

Pineda comes home to Jimena

'Paco' Pineda

JIMENA (Agencies) PP Councillor Francisco 'Paco' Pineda is back in Jimena, having been released from hospital in Barcelona, where he has been since last May, when he had a stroke during the campaign for local elections. He has yet to be officially sworn in, and his family say that he won't be doing so for a while as he still has to do a lot of rehabilitation at a local medical centre. The governing party is doing so with a minority: six councillors against seven for PSOE, the largest. This means that, with the rest of the opposition groups, IU and PA, the PSOE can effectively oppose the PP's proposals.

PSOE calls for Ruiz to obey the law and establish the Junta in San Pablo

Beffa and Gallego
(Photo: europasur.es)

JIMENA / San Pablo As we reported here, there is an ongoing feud between the leading parties regarding the Junta de Distrito in San Pablo. The latest news is that the PSOE is demanding that new Mayor Guillermo Ruiz obey the law and set up the Junta as it was duly elected. However, Ruiz (PP) says that new regulations are being created and the Junta will be established when these are ready, to which Andrés Beffa and the associations that were part of the previous Junta strongly object and call 'undemocratic'. Others have joined the fray, including former Councillor J.A.Vázquez (PA) with a stinging article titled Mentiras Arriesgadas (Risky Lies) on his blog. Curiously, former PP Councillor and San Pablo resident Sandra Gallego joined forces with Beffa at a press conference at the Reina Cristina Hotel yesterday. Calling San Pablo 'an oasis of peace', Beffa>>>

Paco Pineda to return soon

Pepe Guzmán (l.) and Paco Pineda

JIMENA (Photo: J. Guzmán) The man who was supposed to be our Mayor, Paco Pineda, will be back in Jimena soon, according to his friend and ours, Pepe Guzmán. Paco had a stroke during the local election campaign and he has lately been recovering at the Guttman Clinic in Badalona, where Pepe went to visit him recently. Apparently, Paco will be released from hospital on October 1st, after a very good recovery so far. He will probably not be able to take up his duties as a Councillor for the PP (governing) party for a while and cannot expect to become Mayor, either. In any case, he will be home among family and friends. We wish him a speedy recovery and return.

Dogged politics mar agreements on San Pablo 'divorce proceedings'

JIMENA/SanPablo (Agencies) As we announced here, San Pablo is in 'divorce proceedings' against Jimena. The matter has taken on a different tone now that a new local government (PP) is in place in Jimena, while that old PSOE warhorse, Andres Beffa, is still in (apparently unelected) power in San Pablo. As part of the municipality, San Pablo must meet certain requirements in order to continue the process towards becoming an ELA (Entidad Local Autonoma) like San Martin del Tesorillo. The first of these is to set up a Junta Municipal de Distrito, which needs Jimena Mayor Guillermo Ruiz to designate which local associations will be on that council. Only three such will have 'voice and vote', according to municipal rules. Ruiz has met with some of the main associations to enable an agreement, but this has not happened. The matter is urgent as the 'mini-council' must be constituted by next Friday. The Mayor is in a quandary: "It is a strange, difficult situation because if I designate the associations there will be those who will be unhappy." (Prospero note: There are always those who could never agree even with their own shadow. Jimena is rife with the sort who prefer to put party and personal interests before those of the municipality's well-being. The latter is desperately needed at this desperate (financial) time.)

Guillermo Ruiz invested as Mayor of Jimena

(Photo: EuropaSur/Erasmo Fenoy)

JIMENA (Agencies) After a series of protracted machinations regarding the investiture of Jimena's Mayor -all aimed at doing as little personal damage to the otherwise Mayor-elect, Francisco Pineda, who is in hospital- Guillermo Ruiz was finally invested in the post yesterday evening. There were no surprises at the ceremony, and the baton was passed on to the first PP Mayor in democracy, who will have to govern in a minority. The ousted PSOE councillors, many of whom held positions of power for several years, were there to hand it over. Ruiz was full of praise for the man he was forced by circumstance to replace, Pineda, whom, he said, was the reason he, Ruiz, was now heading the Council. He also thanked the two 'hinge' parties, IU and PA, for their position: they voted for themselves, did not support the incumbent psoe at the Councillors investiture and thus allowed the PP to take the Mayorship as the most-voted party at the May 22 elections.>>>

Beffa to return to his job as teacher at Xemina Adult Education Centre

JIMENA/San Pablo de Buceite (TioJimeno) Andrés Beffa, Jimena Councillor and president of the Neighbourhood Association of San Pablo, confirmed this morning that he will be returning to his old job as a teacher at the Xemina Adult Education Centre in Jimena, from which he has for a long time been absent. Beffa will be part of the PSOE group on the Council, in opposition. He is also president of the Consorcio de Bomberos (Fire & Rescue Consortium) of the Campo de Gibraltar, from which he will probably be ousted in September. San Pablo is undergoing the process that will eventually lead to its separation from the municipality of Jimena de la Frontera, its declaration as an ELA (Autonomous Local Entity) being the next step, which is not expected for at least a year.

Pineda renounces Mayorship but remains a Councillor

(Photo: TioJimeno)

JIMENA This morning's Plenary Session of the Council made note that Francisco Pineda, Mayor-elect but in hospital and unable to be present, resigned the position of Mayor but retains his post as Councillor in the hope that when he recovers he will be able to take up his position should he so decide and his unfortunate illness allow. The third and final session that will name and elect the new Mayor will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, at 8pm, which will finally pass on the Mayor's baton to Guillermo Ruiz.

PA asks about the activities of the head of the Festivities Department

JIMENA (Source: Partido Andalucista press release) The salary of the so-called Delegate for Festivities equals that of a First Vice-Mayor even though he is not responsible for anything. So sub-heads a press release from the Partido Andalucista, in opposition at least until the local elections on May 22. Since the person concerned, Councillor Jesús Rodríguez (photo), has not deigned to appear at any of the Council meetings lately, the PA has on numerous occasions requested information as to what responsibilitiess he has had that could justify receiving a salary that equals that of Councillor Mercedes Segovia, who is also a First Vice-Mayor, and which he began receiving at the very start of the present legislature. The salary amounts to close to €30,000 a year in each case.>

Couple and two children rescued from flood on Montenegral road

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Agencies/Photo of CA 2101, illustration only) A couple and their two nephews aged 11 and 8, had to be rescued yesterday from their 4WD on the CA-2101 near Montenegral. The vehicle was forced off the road by the water of the Guadiaro river that had risen above the road surface, and got trapped, and stopped, by a large rock. It took the fire rescue service two hours to get them to safety, but the car had to be left behind as it proved impossible to pull it out. (Prospero note: This is the same road that local politicians are now demanding repairs and reconditioning for, a subject that comes up every four years, mysteriously coinciding with elections - and always with the same result: nil. See Jimena and Tesorillo on same track but different trains.)

 

Jimena and Tesorillo on the same track but on different trains

JIMENA/San Martin del Tesorillo (Agencies) Readers will forgive the use of a railway simile when we're talking about roads, but Jimena Mayor Pascual Collado (PSOE - photo, centre, with Councillor Mercedes Segovia and Tesorillo candidate Jesús Solís) was at the offices of Mancomunidad in Los Barrios while Tesorillo Mayoress Belen Jarillo (PP) was just across the road at the Guadacorte Hotel, having called a press conference for yesterday at 10.30 and 11 am respectively. The objective was exactly the same in both instances: to publicize the demand for immediate repairs and widening of the A-2102 and A-2103 roads that connect Tesorillo with San Enrique and the A-7. This are the roads that offer the natural, easiest exit of produce to the Guadiaro Valley and beyond, but are much too narrow for large vehicles and have very deep, dangerous ditches on either side. (Editorial: The objective is the same: to protect drivers on these roads, among other things. Can't the blessed politicians put aside their petty differences even for this cause?)