The departure of the Hondius from the Canary Islands, the second electoral debate before the May 17 elections in Andalusia and the crisis within the United Kingdom Government, this is how Carlos Alsina summarizes the main news to start the week.
The Hondius leaves the Canary Islands while health surveillance continues
The first is Hondiuswhich is already sailing towards Rotterdam with the twenty-six people who remain on board—most of them crew—along with a WHO epidemiologist. The cruise ship has spent less than forty hours in the waters of the port of Granadilla and the evacuation operation is officially concluded, although health monitoring continues both in Spain and in other European countries.
The main novelty of yesterday afternoon was the docking of the Hondius for a few minutes after being ordered by the Maritime Captaincy due to the bad weather conditions, which prevented the planned disembarkation from being carried out safely. Once tied up, twenty-eight passengers got off and were taken by plane to Holland. Afterwards the ship resumed its march, ending the so-called Landing Operation.
“Success” was the word most repeated by the Minister of Health, Mónica García. The image of the three ministers applauding themselves also reflects the Government’s need to vindicate the management of this crisis. Although the head of Health still has to convince the medical unions to avoid new strikes next week.
Pedro Sánchez also wants to appear as one of the architects of this operation. Until now he had only spoken about the hantavirus at a PSOE rally. Today he receives the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom, in Moncloa, to later appear and publicly collect the praise that the head of the international organization already launched yesterday.
Because although the Hondius has already left, the health operation continues. The two women who were in contact with the passenger who died in Johannesburg remain hospitalized in Barcelona and Alicante, waiting for a new PCR to rule out contagion. And the fourteen Spaniards who were traveling on the ship are also still on the Gómez Ulla.
One of them has tested positive in a first PCR test. He will undergo a second test to confirm the diagnosis because for now he remains asymptomatic. This passenger has already been transferred to the 22nd floor, where the High Level Isolation and Treatment Unit is located.
The most delicate situation remains that of the French woman evacuated on Sunday, whose condition rapidly worsened during the flight between Tenerife and Paris. She remains admitted to intensive care and although stable, her evolution is very worrying.
Montero toughens his tone and Moreno focuses the focus on drug trafficking
There were no surprises in the second Andalusian electoral debate. Forced by context, Maria Jesus Montero He toughened his tone more than a week ago. If in the RTVE debate the chronicles agreed that it had been contained, last night it left that prudence behind.
And if Juanma Moreno did not take risks in the first debate, he was even less going to do so in this second one. Although he was seen as much more incisive against the central government, especially when talking about the fight against drug trafficking. He also took the opportunity to remember the role of “vice-general” that, according to the PP, Montero played until just a few weeks ago. The socialist candidate responded by describing the death of the two civil guards as a work accident.
Precisely as a result of these deaths and the controversial absence of Marlaska and other members of the Government at the funeral, the Popular Party yesterday presented a battery of measures against drug trafficking.
Among them, the recovery of the extinct elite unit stands out OCON-Southa greater provision of non-lethal means against drug traffickers and the transfer of major cases of organized crime to the National Court to try to avoid threats to judges and their families.
Starmer resists despite Labor collapse
Keir Starmer He continues to cling to the position of prime minister despite the setback suffered by Labor in the municipal and regional elections last week. He claims to have understood the message of the polls and once again relies on the promise that victory gave him in July 2024.
Yesterday he insisted that he does not plan to resign and that he will exhaust the legislature. What’s more, he announced that his intention is to continue ten more years in Downing Street. It cannot be denied that Pedro Sánchez is creating a school among some progressive leaders.
In an attempt to curb internal rebellion, Starmer further warns that continually changing leaders can cause irreparable damage to the country. But there are already more than fifty Labor deputies who are publicly calling for his resignation. And the number continues to grow.
Meanwhile, possible replacements are beginning to appear. Deputy Catherine West, who assures that she will take the step if no member of the Government appears. And above all the current Minister of Health, Wes Streeting, whom some compare to the British Monica García and who is accused of conspiring against Starmer for months. The name of Ed Miliband, former Labor leader defeated by David Cameron, also appears again.
