Latest news with #EuropeanCommitteeoftheRegions
Observer
15-03-2025
- Health
- Observer
Madrid leader under fire after documentary on nursing home deaths in pandemic
MADRID: A documentary on the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents denied hospital care in Spain's Madrid region during the Covid-19 pandemic prompted calls on Friday for the president of the region to resign over her handling of the crisis. Conservative firebrand Isabel Diaz Ayuso, a senior figure in the country's opposition People's Party, won global fame for keeping Madrid's vibrant bars and restaurants open during the pandemic, protecting the hospitality industry. But in March 2020, the region decided not to give hospital treatment to seniors at care homes with severe illnesses or disabilities in order to limit transfers to hospitals that were nearing collapse. The decision became known as the "protocols of shame". Nursing home residents with private health insurance did get hospital treatment, as did those who did not meet exclusion criteria such as limited mobility or impaired cognition. The European Committee of the Regions has estimated that Madrid had the highest excess mortality of any European region during the pandemic, at around 44 per cent above the average. The independent film "7,291", aired by state broadcaster TVE late on Thursday, refers to the commonly accepted death toll related to the protocols, based on the region's own data. "Society needs to know what happened so that it doesn't repeat itself," the documentary's director, Juanjo Castro, said. "Our elderly didn't deserve this and I hope this project will stir consciences." Nearly 3 million unique viewers watched the film that aired well past midnight, according to consultancy Barlovento. Afterwards, Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the events as a "gerontocaust" on X, where a hashtag calling on Ayuso to resign was the main trending topic. Ayuso has called the 7,291 figure "an invention" used by "the left and far left to agitate". Her administration has said the actual figure of those who died at nursing homes with a Covid diagnosis between March and April 2020 was 4,100, although tests were not widely available during the pandemic's first wave. Officials also complained about the decision by state TV to focus on Madrid instead of other regions. Relatives of 115 nursing home residents who died launched a collective lawsuit in October 2024 accusing regional authorities of denying healthcare on discriminatory grounds. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to bring them before courts. Most of an earlier 300 lawsuits by relatives of the diseased have been dismissed and an inquiry in the regional assembly was shut down in July 2021. Ayuso defended her decision to prioritise reopening businesses and criticised the more restrictive approach by the central government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a video message on Wednesday, five years on from the pandemic. Ayuso, who has headed Spain's capital region since 2019, has a full majority in the regional assembly and does not face reelection until 2027. — Reuters
Euronews
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for political unity in Ukraine
As we approach the grim third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine which began on 24 February 2022, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko visited Brussels to receive an award from the European Committee of the Regions for leadership in protecting human rights. Beyond this award, the visit was also an opportunity for the former boxing champion to call for national unity. Previously a fierce critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Klitschko's call for unity comes at a difficult time for the country, both in a military sense as well as diplomatically. The US, which until recently was a staunch ally of Ukraine under former President Biden, is now changing its tune under current President Donald Trump. A major indication of this was the talks on Ukraine that took place earlier this week between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, with Ukraine excluded entirely. Furthermore, Trump later described his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as a "dictator without elections." Now, Klitschko has abandoned his critique of what he described as authoritarian tendencies on the part of Zelenskyy, and is now firmly in step with the country's opposition in supporting the president. The two men had a fractuous relationship for several years, but today Klitschko points out that organising a presidential election in wartime is difficult and dangerous. An election campaign could "destroy the country from within," said Klitschko during his visit to Brussels. "Millions of people are on the front line right now, millions of people outside the country, millions of people inside the country are refugees," he added. Cracks in the national unity Cracks have nevertheless begun to appear in Ukraine's political unity and rule of law. Former president and opposition leader Petro Poroshenko has been sanctioned by the Ukrainian government on national security grounds, which has resulted in the freezing of his assets. The EU's leading political force, the European People's Party (EPP), had denounced the measures taken against Poroshenko. For EPP President Manfred Weber, "it is urgent to preserve the unity of Ukraine in this crucial phase of the war and the international efforts to bring it to an end." The German went on to say that rather than "labelling him a traitor, I would stress the invaluable services Poroshenko has provided to Ukraine, in particular the building of a strong army." During his visit to Brussels, Klitschko reiterated the values for which his country is fighting. "We must defend our desire to be part of the European family, because everyone must understand the reason for this war. We want to be part of the European family and the Russian Federation has said no to us," he said. The Mayor of Kyiv also stressed the importance of European financial assistance and the need for this support to continue in the future. "We are not just defending our homeland, we are defending democracy, we are in fact defending each and every one of you."
