The general secretary of the PSOE Aragón, Pilar Alegría, announced this Monday that the socialists are working on the implementation of a Plan Aragón 2027 to address forest fires, "based on listening to professionals and those who live and know the territory," and urged the other parties and the Government of Aragón to join a great agreement that reinforces prevention and the capacity to respond to these emergencies.
The announcement came after her meeting with the president of the Cortes de Aragón, María Navarro, on the occasion of the start of the new session period. Alegría thanked Navarro for calling this round of meetings with the parliamentary groups and highlighted "institutional forms based on dialogue and respect."
"I wish the president of Aragón would take good note of these good forms that the president of the Cortes adopts in politics," she pointed out, reproaching Jorge Azcón for not contacting the main opposition party during a summer in which the fires have burned more than 40,000 hectares in the Community. In her opinion, the magnitude of what happened made it necessary, at the very least, to make a call or hold a meeting with the PSOE. "He has had neither the time nor the desire to do so," she stated, emphasizing that that meeting would have been "absolutely timely and reasonable."
At the beginning of her speech, Alegría expressed her condolences and support to the families, colleagues, and friends of the UME soldier and the Provincial Deputation firefighter who died this summer. She also acknowledged "the effort made by all administrations, public workers, nature protection agents, firefighters, state security forces and bodies, volunteers, mayors, councilors, and neighbors who participated in the extinction and protection tasks during the most difficult weeks."
Having overcome the most critical phase, the socialist leader defended that it is time to evaluate what happened and prepare Aragón to face next year's fire campaign under better conditions. "Now there is a much greater responsibility, which is to work united, to work all together so that Aragón can better face the upcoming fires in the year 2027," she considered.
A Plan Aragón 2027 based on consensus
With this purpose, the PSOE Aragón is designing the Plan Aragón 2027, a document that, as Alegría has explained, must arise "from agreement, from consensus and above all gathering the proposals and ideas of those who truly live and know the territory." She has detailed that the socialists have been in contact for days and weeks with volunteers, nature protection agents, firefighters, mayors, and farmers to incorporate their experience and contributions.
The intention is that the final text also integrates the contributions from the rest of the political forces and the regional Government itself. "From the Socialist Party we again extend our hand," she has assured, insisting that what was experienced this summer forces all parties to work "from unity and from responsibility" and with "a broad perspective."
The Plan Aragón 2027 will include, among other aspects, a reinforcement of prevention tasks, more material and human resources, better working conditions for professionals, and an active operational device twelve months of the year. Alegría has warned that "these new fires of the 21st century cannot be faced with an operation designed for the 20th century."
She has also recalled that Aragón is among the communities with the least firefighting personnel in relation to its forest area and is also among the worst equipped proportionally in aerial resources. Likewise, she has pointed out that the Community has been the one that has had to request the most support from the State during the last fires.
"There will be time to talk about responsibilities or irresponsibilities," she has indicated, emphasizing that the immediate priority must be to correct the detected shortcomings and adequately prepare the operation for 2027.
Call to action in the face of the climate emergency
The Secretary General of PSOE Aragón has also demanded that the Popular Party and the regional Government adhere to the pact against the climate emergency promoted by the Government of Spain. Alegría has warned that "denying the climate crisis at this moment with absolutely denialist or flat-earth theories is not only a mistake," but "can be dangerous for the citizens."
In light of the forecast of new extreme weather episodes, it has been deemed essential for the different political formations to reach agreements to face the climate emergency and its effects. "After having suffered what we have suffered during these days, after seeing how more than 40,000 hectares of our territory were devastated, it must lead us all to work in the best way from the agreement, in good disposition and above all with a broad perspective," he concluded.