How good is that!! 😀
A good verbal slapping for Zapatero, and shaming him infront of the EU Parliament. Marta Andreasen deserves a big pat on the back for pulling no punches and loved her parting-shot threat.
Yes, Chris – certainly some satisfaction and hope now, at least more so since this lady’s speech.
Not sure I thought he looked a bit sick on the last frame. He had a rough ride re. the economic situation. In his speech he said he made lots of promises that he will bring the EU states out of the financial crisis. One MEP asked how he could do that when his own country has deep problems and one of the highest unemployment figures.
You won’t be suprised to know that the reports I have seen in the spanish media, do not mention Marta’s outburst!
It seems that he had a few more appeals today – from the British Labour MEPs Michael Cashman and British Labour MEP Leader Glenis Willmott, together with Diana Wallis (Liberal Democrat and Vice-President of the European Parliament) and the Spanish IU MEP Willy Meyer. Hope he wakes up!
Lenox – good, I hope this pressure is kept up. At last some Brit. MEP’s not simply muttering how they are unable to interfere. I hope come elections those weak-livered lazy MEP’s who sent out standard letters to that effect are not re-elected.
“As a national of Spain I am ashamed to see what is going on in my country” – that would have hit a nerve. I disagree that he looked as if he didn’t care, I felt he looked embarrassed at her speech knowing all eyes were focussed on him. And I don’t think she is the type of woman to let this go, she’ll be a constant thorn in his side over this for which I am grateful.
I have sent the link to all my Spanish friends and others who are connected to Spain. I feel we all should do this. At the last count the hits amounted to 319.
This, number has to be increased otherwise it will sound insignificant in the over all scheme of things.
I bet ZP is barely aware of this situation. Might even be news to him. He’s mainly interested in talking about ‘solidarity’ but he doesn’t do much to solve real problems. Typical socialist.
It’s a shame she said the Priors lost their home to the ley de costas. It’s actually far worse than that. They lost their home for no good reason other than gross incompetence by the regional government. And I wish she had pointed out that these people are losing their homes despite having planning permission from a branch of the Spanish state.
But even if ZP wanted to, there’s not much he can do about this. Thanks to Spain’s system of regional autonomy, authority over these matters lies with regional governments. He doesn’t have formal power over these issues (though of course he can influence his fellow socialists in power in Andalucia).
That was powerful and great to see someone finally standing up and saying somwthing! I hav just posted it to my facebook page, hopefully many more will see it there!
Mark: I concur 100% with your posting. Considering the time allowed. It would have been impossible to cover all the abuses and the tangents of the abuses.
Presumably, the majority of EU funding are made to the Central Government who would than distribute it to the regional Government. So he has a lot of say in the matter.
When he speaks about solidarity. He is damn well right the corrupt have the solidarity.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Can you please forward this to Ms Marta Anderson. This is to congratulate her for bollocking that son of bitch Zapatero.
I am not personally affected by the scandal the symptomatic and endamic abuse of the construction Industry and all related to it.
So many decent hard working people have been robbed by the system. Thus giving Spain and its large majority of decent and very welcoming people a very bad name.
Many thanks.
Mark, forgive me for using certains words on the forum. At least I did not use “Hijo de puta.” I do not wish down grade the site.
Mark – PM Zapatero is very well aware of ALL the Spanish property corruption, not just ‘land grab’. Many of us have worked very hard to make sure of this.
I disagree with you about the power at his elbow. As Michael Cashman wrote to him; “It is the Spanish government alone that can bring an end to these abuses”.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Can you please forward this to Ms Marta Anderson. This is to congratulate her for bollocking that son of bitch Zapatero.
I am not personally affected by the scandal the symptomatic and endamic abuse of the construction Industry and all related to it.
So many decent hard working people have been robbed by the system. Thus giving Spain and its large majority of decent and very welcoming people a very bad name.
Many thanks.
Mark, forgive me for using certains words on the forum. At least I did not use “Hijo de puta.” I do not wish down grade the site.
Well done shakeel. I am not personally affected although I know quite a few who are. Indirectly we are as property owners, this won’t go away and lowers the value of all properties. I have sent an e-mail too
She did a fantastic job despite her paper shaking loads. We need more people like her in politics – to do what is morally right and not to be afraid to stick their head above the political parapet.
UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen today held Spanish President Jose Luis Zapatero to account over the scandal of
British citizens who found their Spanish holiday homes demolished because of alleged breaches of planning law.
Mr Zapatero, who was assuming the Presidency of the European Union, looked shocked as Ms Andreasen named four
constituents who faced financial ruin as a result of the ongoing scandal: Mr & Mrs Prior and Ms Snook of Berkshire, and
Mr Lohmann of Buckingham. The Priors house had been demolished in front of their eyes because of alleged breaches
of planning law, while Ms Snook and Mr Lohmann could not live in their houses because of a lack of basic services and
infrastructure.
Ms Andreasen said that these were normal, hard working people who had intended to retire to Spain and yet had found
their dreams shattered and were faced with years of legal costs simply to defend their rights.
Speaking in the European Parliament’s Strasbourg chamber, she said, “If you can not solve this problem, how much
credibility can you have in solving Europe’s financial crisis?
“We want a solution now. We want the people to be able to live in the houses they bought. If this is not possible, they
need to be granted fair compensation. This parliament has only threatened to block payment of subsidies to Spain. But I
can assure you that if this situation is not resolved during the Spanish presidency, I will do everything I can to turn this
threat into action.”
In response, Mr Zapatero said that he would investigate the problem as a matter of urgency.
Ms Andreasen said she was seeking other constituents who had suffered similar problems in Spain, and asked them to
contact her via her office: Sunnybank, Brighton Road, Banstead, Surrey SN7 1BA, or by e-mail to marta.andreasen@europarl.europa.eu.
I think this is the lady who was sacked from a high position in the EU because she criticised the accounting system ,or lack of a proper one ,inside the EU, if I am right she is very brave because the EU does not like criticism ,I just hope nothing happens to her a la Dr Kelly.
I think the only way anything will be done for the Boyles and people like them, however is to stop ALL EU PAYMENTS TO SPAIN, hit a Spaniard in his pocket it is the only thing he understands.
Zapatero will I fear just shrug his shoulders and do his Mr Bean impressions.
Don’t know if you are aware but she was the chief accountant at the European Commission who was sacked because she blew the lid on the lack of financial control over the EC budget. She recently criticised the decision of MEP’s to vote their payrises as “obscene” when so many people were losing their jobs. Because of this she may not get much support from other MEP’s. At least she got the publicity that is needed.
Don’t know if you are aware but she was the chief accountant at the European Commission who was sacked because she blew the lid on the lack of financial control over the EC budget. She recently criticised the decision of MEP’s to vote their payrises as “obscene” when so many people were losing their jobs. Because of this she may not get much support from other MEP’s. At least she got the publicity that is needed.
Sorry 135, was posting at the same time 🙂
Katy, Think it is a case of great minds thinking alike although your contribution was more specific than mine.
Glenis Willmott also mentioned our issues in her short address to PM Zapatero. You can hear the whole session in the link below, including the final response from Zapatero which did not include one comment about the Spanish property scandals: