The former Minister of Transport Óscar Puente has announced this Thursday that he will step away from institutional politics, although he will continue to campaign for the PSOE. He confirmed this at his exit from the Permanent Deputation of the Congress, which he attended this morning, after being asked by journalists about his political future.
Puente, who resigned as minister on the past 3 November following the Urda rail accident, has explained that his intention is to leave the institutions, but keep his ties to the Socialist Party.
Asked why he has not yet renounced his deputy seat, the former minister pointed out that he did not want to leave the PSOE with one fewer parliamentarian just about two weeks before the general elections on 29 November.
The decision to keep the seat until today had special importance for the PSOE, which needed to have all its deputies in the Permanent Deputation in order to push forward the Government’s housing decrees. In a tight vote, Puente’s early resignation would have meant losing a decisive vote for the validation of the measures.