Spanish PM 'Indignated' Over Mugabe Blast
July 15th, 2010
Spanish PM Jose Luis Zapatero said he was ‘indignated’ by the comments made by a British MEP after she drew a comparison between Spain’s illegal housing problems affecting British expatriates to the colonial repossessions in Zimbabwe under President Mugabe.
Addressing Zapatero at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday MEP Marta Andreasen said: “You have done nothing to resolve the menace affecting hundreds of thousands of people across Spain who face confiscation and demolition of their houses.” She told Zapatero that 300,000 houses are affected in Andalucia alone.
She said one of her constituents wrote to her saying he “fears he is facing a situation similar to that experienced by British subjects at the hands of President Mugabe in Zimbabwe, and wonders why he receiving this treatment in a friendly European country.”
Zapatero expressed his indignation at the accusations by Andreasen stating “I cannot accept the comparison that has been made” and that Spain “respects and enforces the laws”. He added that “we feel for the people, in this case British, who have been victims of fraud by the housing sector.”
A person – who asked not to be named – lived through the colonial repossessions told EWN “I don’t think Spain is anywhere near as bad as what happened in Zimbabwe. In the situation in Zimbabwe, we were told we would receive the money from the sale of our property when we opted to leave, but never saw a penny.”
This was the second time Andreasen blasted Spain’s handling of the issues affecting British expatriates and their Spanish homes, the first being in January 2010.
Story from Euro Weekly News
while it was a silly comparison, its important the pressure is kept on the Spanish government. Unfortunately it usually takes wild accusations to get politicos to act.
Marta has got this right. The Spanish Government have done nothing to reassure those innocent buyers who have no idea whether their property is legal or not.
Also why can’t we have a simple website set up by the Spnish Government so we can all check whether a property is legal or not, this would help buyers and residents alike.
NOT so silly comparison between Spain’s illegal housing problems affecting British expatriates to the colonial repossessions in Zimbabwe under President Mugabe.
Take a drive around the Almanzora Valley, withness the results of what was once the homes and dreams of so many, quite often frail and elderly British retirees, those who could no longer endure living under the threats from Spanish politicians, the threat to demolish their homes, the threats to make them pay for the demolition, the threats to make them pay for not demolishing their homes, you lose if you do and you lose if you don´t. Look a little deeper and you will hear the sad stories of the broken families, many after thirty or forty years of marriage, look even further and you will find those who were not strong enough to continue the fight to defend their homes. You don´t have to look far to find their abandoned homes and dreams.
We do not wish in any way to belittle the ruined lives under President Mugabe, but it is bad enough for the hundreds and thousands living under threat in Spain.