Residents evicted by line 7B of the Madrid Metro ask Europe for help

The European capital felt for a while this Tuesday the anguish of the residents of San Fernando de Henares whose homes are threatened —or have already been destroyed— by the works on line 7B of the Madrid Metro.

The Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament heard the frustration, helplessness and anger of the evicted, who asked that Brussels listen and respond to some demands that, according to what they say, the conservative government of the Community of Madrid, first with Esperanza Aguirre and now with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has turned a deaf ear for the last 15 years.

"The collapse of line 7B is the story of a political decision taken against technical criteria that has ruined the lives of dozens of families in San Fernando de Henares," whose rights are being "violated and curtailed at all times," he denounced. the president of the Association of Affected Rafael Alberti-Presa de San Fernando de Henares, Juan Antonio Fuentes.

Before the parliamentary commission that deals with citizen complaints and which is chaired by popular MEP Dolors Montserrat, Fuentes recalled that the works, which began in 2007, have to date left 600 damaged homes, 13 affected streets, 88 families evicted, three homes single-family homes, a block of 24 apartments and three demolished businesses, as well as the notification of thirty more evictions carried out last month.

Faced with these allegations, the general director of Collective Transport Infrastructures of the Community of Madrid, Miguel Núñez, assured that the "maximum concern" of the Madrid authorities is "to safeguard the safety of the residents."

While they shook their heads and whispered "lie" from his bench, Núñez released a list of figures assuring, among others,

that Madrid has "immediately and directly" taken over the expenses of the hundred families relocated, for a value of between 26,000 and 75,000 euros per year.

There is "total transparency," he insisted.

It was the second time in a few months that the neighborhood delegation took the plane to Brussels —in November they traveled to urgently process the petition, an initiative that obtained the support of all the parties except the PP—, but it was the first time they had opportunity to speak publicly and formally before MEPs of various stripes and countries.

And they took advantage of it to make very specific demands: that the MEPs make a formal visit to the affected town to "learn on the ground the magnitude of the violated rights."

They also want the European Commission to investigate the subway expansion works for their "bad execution", as well as the new funds for the ordered repairs, which the residents consider a "botch" that continues to violate their rights.

A representative of the European Executive was in charge of quickly throwing a jug of cold water on this last request and replied that Brussels "cannot continue to intervene in this matter."

As he explained, the European Commission has no powers in this case since it is the Member States themselves that "must guarantee that the obligations relating to fundamental rights resulting from international agreements such as the European Charter of Fundamental Rights" to which they are respected. alluded to the plaintiffs in reference to the right to decent housing.

Despite this, MEP Sira Rego (IU) said after the session that they will seek to carry out an "audit in case European funds have been used for the construction of these infrastructures."

The Commission's response led PP MEP Pablo Arias to demand the closure of the petition from the residents of San Fernando, whom he accused, together with the left-wing deputies who support them, of bringing an "electoral issue" to Brussels. with which they seek to make "media noise" against Díaz Ayuso.

“There are no competitions in the EU, so I don't know what this is doing here.

If you have doubts, go to court and file a complaint (…) sit down with the Community of Madrid so that, together, we can find a definitive solution, but do not come here to pretend that this was a ring”, he accused.

The petition will, however, remain open by decision of the majority of MEPs, so the Committee on Petitions will be able to continue analyzing the situation.

Montserrat also announced that she will request Brussels to send its response "in writing" and pointed out that the decision on a mission to Madrid by MEPs must be voted on by the coordinators of this parliamentary commission.

Given that in any case the official trip will still take a long time to take place —probably not before 2024—, the deputies Sira Riego and the socialist Cristina Maestre agreed, after the session, to carry out an unofficial visit to the affected areas this Monday next to the which, as announced in the corridors of the Eurocámara, will invite all MEPs who want to sign up.

"This is not politicking, it is not demagogy, it is not electoralism, it has been 15 years of being ignored (...) This is the life of many people who need Europe to give them an answer that it is not giving them at the moment," Maestre defended, Coordinator of the Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the Committee on Petitions.

Because regardless of the legal powers or not of the European institutions, the Galician Ana Miranda delimited, "ethical principles" must govern.

More than ever now that "this chamber, questioned at this time, has to give clear examples that we are with the citizens and not with the mafias that sometimes touch some deputies", recalled the deputy from the group of La Izquierda in reference to the

bribery scandal

that has rocked the European Parliament.

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