Spain's Puente quits over train disaster, exits election race

· Politics · Spain

Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente handed in his resignation and announced he was withdrawing from the upcoming general election after the high-speed train crash that killed 69 people last week, one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century. Puente had earlier pledged to stay in his post. The decision deals a political blow to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government just as the country heads into an election campaign, and puts transport safety and rail management at the centre of the national debate.

Why it matters：The resignation turns a transport disaster into a national political contest over safety and accountability, with implications for how Spain governs its rail network.

Key points

  • Puente resigned after the crash that killed 69 people.
  • He also withdrew from the upcoming general election.
  • The disaster was one of Europe's worst railway accidents this century.

Sources (original reporting)

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