The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife and PSOE candidate for re-election, Pedro Martín, faces the final stretch of the electoral period “convinced” of achieving a good result next Sunday and highlights that, in this mandate, “we have laid the foundations to solve the historical problems” that the Island had.
-With what feelings do you arrive at the final stretch of this campaign?
“With enthusiasm and desire. Above all, after having tried to transfer the intense work that we have done on the Island during these four years”.
– Do you trust that the PSOE obtains a good result in the Cabildo?
“I am convinced. I believe that we have been able to explain to the public the work that we have done with the Government of the Canary Islands to solve problems in Tenerife such as roads or health. Or the effort we have made to deal with chronic environmental problems, such as the discharge of wastewater into the sea. Or our efforts to organize the companies of the Cabildo and our commitment to renewable energy. And I think that the public can also see how Tenerife’s economy is growing strongly. They have been very difficult years, we have not stopped working, but it has been worth it”.
-What are the main lines of your program?
“Despite the pandemic, in these years we have laid the pillars for an enormous transformation of the Island, like never before in decades. Now it’s time to reap the fruits of that work. The next mandate will be the execution of the road works for which we have waited so long. But also that of a new large renewable project that is going to multiply Tenerife’s capacity to generate clean energy. And all these development projects are going to be completed without ever forgetting our social policies. On the one hand, making sure that education, training and job placement reach all social sectors. So that no one is left without opportunities. And, on the other, we are going to continue opening up more resources for the social and health care of people in vulnerable situations”.
-What do you think is the island’s main problem right now?
“One of them is to solve the problem of the hospitals in the North and South, which we have finally put on track. Among other things, ceding land for the construction of another building in the Hospital del Sur by the regional Executive, which has put 40 million for that center in the 2023 budget. And the other big issue is the problem of the roads, for those of us who already have projects, reports and environmental assessments. We have come a long way that should have been done years ago. Fortunately, we have arrived to promote and conclude these cumbersome processes”.
-What achievements of this mandate do you feel most satisfied with?
“Of having assumed challenges and issues that were paralyzed or that had not even been addressed. We have laid the foundations to solve the historical problems that Tenerife had. The one that is most often mentioned is the drive for highways. But a very important issue is the lack of wastewater treatment, which on top of that costs Spain millions in fines every year from the EU. After decades of inaction, this Cabildo has allocated more than 250 million to purification and sanitation works. Another of our achievements is having completed the comprehensive reform of the Tenerife Sur airport, as well as the important improvements also agreed with AENA at the Tenerife Norte airport. But I am especially satisfied that the Cabildo has been together with the most vulnerable people in the worst moments of these years, which have been very hard for many Tenerife men and women.
-In addition to these questions, any other fundamental objective if you repeat as island president?
“To promote the construction of new socio-sanitary centers that allow to meet the existing demand for residential places on the Island and advance in the new model of care for our elderly and people with disabilities. Specialized home care and community centers play a fundamental role here. The objective of our policy is to avoid the uprooting of the environment of these people. Likewise, we want to continue with the processes of administrative simplification for citizens and companies that want to invest in the Island”.
-What balance do you make of the pact with Ciudadanos?
“Well, a good balance, with a very intense work and a permanent effort of negotiation that, in the end, has given its results. In addition, it has been shown that we are a government and a party with the capacity to negotiate and reach agreements, to dialogue. If this had not been the case, we would not have approved budgets with Podemos on some occasions and with the Popular Party on others. That means making policies thinking about the citizenry”.
-And how do you assess that final disagreement with Podemos?
“Podemos had an internal rupture. And I understand that the best way they found to focus attention on something else was to break with the PSOE. It seems to me a matter completely out of place because, with their rejection of this year’s budgets, both they and CC, who also voted against, were about to paralyze the Cabildo”.
-Do you have any red lines when it comes to possible agreements?
“The red lines are not marked based on the acronyms but on the programs, with the exception of the extreme right. The discussion has to focus on what we want for Tenerife, what the Isla project is and how we can improve the place where we live”.
