Santander (EFE) closeness to the citizen and to the deputies who tread the territory more.
In an interview with EFE, Joaquín Gómez (Mazcuerras, 1955) is surprised to have been the first president of the Parliament of Cantabria who in 40 years has institutionally visited the 102 municipalities of the autonomous community.
Question.- How do you see these remaining two months of activity in Parliament?
Answer.- I hope that it will be raised with some calm, although I have seen these days that it is being raised with the pre-election campaign underway. What I have asked of them (from the parliamentary parties (PRC, PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos and Vox)) is a certain serenity and that the campaign, when the time comes, be calm and relaxed because tension does not benefit citizens at all.
Q.- In the eight plenary sessions that remain until Parliament is dissolved, do you think that the elections will mark the activity?
A.- There is a law that is practically agreed upon by all the parliamentary groups, which is the Law on Victims of Terrorism.
The amendments to that regulation have been transacted in this month of January, although it has not been a business day for plenary sessions, and they have been agreed upon by all the groups, with which I think it will come out unanimously.
And there is the Housing Law. Let’s hope it goes ahead because it is an important law for the citizens of Cantabria.
Groups, within “limits”
Q.- What is the balance you make?
A.- My work has been easy. Logically it depends on the mood you want to take it, because I think that freedom of expression must be left to the spokespersons, yes, without passing certain lines as we are unfortunately seeing in Congress.
It does not benefit the political class and I think that citizens, in general, do not like it. I believe that we have to go towards a policy in which each one defends what they deem appropriate but within more normal limits, and I, at least, here in the Parliament of Cantabria, have tried to take it that way.
I believe that up to now the parliamentary groups, with some rare exceptions, have indeed been within those limits.
Q.- For you, who came from the municipal after going through union activity, what difference have you seen in parliamentary politics?
A.- Coming from union activity gives you a lot of trouble, because I am one of the newest deputies and that suddenly you become a deputy and they name you president of Parliament, it is something unusual and anomalous, but I was not afraid of directing the plenary sessions because in the union world I have had to negotiate agreements and direct assemblies.
And municipal politics, which is something that I love dealing with the neighbors, I have tried to bring it a bit to my activity in Parliament. I have tried to open up the Parliament to the citizens and carry out activities, to make it known, because I believe that it is the great unknown of the Cantabrians in general.
I planned a tour of the 102 town halls which has been very gratifying for me, since in 40 years the president of Parliament had never visited them.
What hasn’t given Joaquín Gómez time?
Q.- I’m sure you would have liked to do something in these three and a half years that you haven’t had time. What is pending?
A.- The Parliament of Cantabria has a management part, of a building of Cultural Interest that has some shortcomings and that I have tried to solve the deficiencies of the glass of the dome. It was put out to competition with the College of Architects and a group of architects will take care of it, but I would have liked to see the legislature end with the dome already changed and restructured.
Q.- Would you like to repeat in the position?
A.- I like day-to-day work and I get fully involved, but I don’t like to think about the future.
I belong to a very lively party where the militants have a lot to say and where, fortunately, they are not personal but collective projects. I don’t think it’s an individual decision, rather it’s a common project and from that moment on we’ll see what happens, although the truth is I’m not thinking about it, if not until June leave everything finished, if possible, as I said, dome theme.
Q.- How do you think the rest of the parties see you?
R.- Everyone should express their opinion, but because of my way of being, I am a person who talks, regardless of the fact that when directing the plenary session you have to mark the plenary sessions because otherwise it would be a pilgrimage, I have a good relationship with all the spokespersons and I think your perception of me is generally positive. And I also have a good perception of the spokespersons and of the vast majority of deputies.
“The initiatives towards the Government of Spain are a toast to the sun”
Q.- And how do you see Parliament?
A.- I think that the Parliament of Cantabria should pay more attention to the politics of Cantabria and the initiatives towards the Government of Spain are a toast to the sun, because the three opposition parties have representation in Congress.
What interests the Cantabrians is what happens in Cantabria and that, rather than bringing citizens closer to political parties, distances them. I believe that the parliamentary groups of Cantabria should speak more about the politics of Cantabria.
Q.- Do you think that this is one of the things that also creates more distance between politics and citizens? Is that distance greater with Parliament?
R.- This is everyone’s house and there must be a relationship between the deputies and the citizens in general and touring the region, because I was surprised, on my tour of the town halls, that they told me that it was the first time that he was going (from Parliament) to the town halls. He stumped me.
The deputies have to step on the territory more, because when issues are debated here you cannot take and vote by hearsay, you have to have stepped on the territory first. It is a bit to put into practice the policy of the municipalities to be with the neighbors. I think you have to go much further into the territory to find out about the problems that each municipality has and when you put it all together you have a much better knowledge of Cantabria.
Q.- Four months after the elections, how does Joaquín Gómez see them?
A.- I don’t think the electoral range will change much from how it is. There will logically be political parties that go up and down two or three deputies, but overall I don’t think I’m going to see a substantial change.
Maru G. Robles
