The Government has again expressed its support for the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, while admitting that he "dislikes" the images of police charges produced during the general strike day in several cities in Spain, and has insisted on the need to wait for the conclusions of the investigation ordered by the Ministry itself.
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations and Spokesperson for the Executive, Elma Saiz, has spoken in these terms when questioned about the calls for Marlaska to resign raised by the majority of the parties with representation in Congress, including Sumar, a partner in the coalition Government.
In the appearance after the extraordinary Council of Ministers held this Friday, Saiz has once again stressed that Marlaska has the backing of the Executive and its president, Pedro Sánchez.
Earlier this same Thursday, Sánchez himself stated that Marlaska is, along with the late Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the "best Minister of the Interior" of Spanish democracy. "He's my left or right little eye," he claimed in an interview with TVE.
The Executive stresses that it does not remain "impassive"
Despite this show of unity, Saiz has wanted to emphasize that the Government "dislikes" the images of the police charges and that, far from remaining "impassive," it has acted immediately. As proof of this, she has pointed out that the head of the Interior has ordered an "exhaustive" investigation into all the police intervention during the strike day. "We are going to wait for the conclusions of that investigation," she has requested.
At the same time, the spokesperson for Moncloa has asked that these episodes "not overshadow the social outcry and the legitimate demands" nor "the prevailing feeling of thousands upon thousands of citizens who took to the streets peacefully demanding decent housing, a defense of public services, and rights for everyone".