Lorraine Williamson
A senior Galician politician is facing mounting pressure to step down after fireworks lit during her daughter’s wedding caused outrage across a province already battling one of its worst wildfire seasons in years.
Susana Rodríguez, deputy mayor of Amoeiro and provincial deputy for the PSdeG (Partido dos Socialistas de Galicia), hosted the wedding on Sunday. The festivities included a firework display. Meanwhile thousands of residents in Ourense were dealing with smoke, evacuations and the destruction of their land.
Celebration in the shadow of catastrophe
The timing provoked an immediate backlash. Critics described the display as both “reckless” and “disrespectful”, accusing Rodríguez of showing contempt for those affected by the fires.
Opposition demands resignation
The Galician nationalist party BNG (Bloque Nacionalista Galego) was the first to react. Its local spokesperson, Marcos Blanco, branded the fireworks “a complete lack of respect”. Furthermore, he insisted that Rodríguez had lost all credibility as a public servant. He argued that politicians should act as role models, particularly when communities are under extreme pressure.
Provincial leaders add to the criticism
Luis Menor, president of the provincial council in Ourense, also condemned the display, calling it a “completely reprehensible” act. He stopped short of calling for Rodríguez’s resignation. However, he underlined the responsibility of public officials to act responsibly in times of crisis.
Menor stressed that fireworks posed additional risks in Galicia’s tinder-dry conditions, especially with firefighting aircraft already stretched thin and emergency crews working around the clock.
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Galicia’s fires set grim backdrop
The controversy comes as wildfires continue to scorch large areas of Galicia. Blazes in A Rúa, Vilamartín de Valdeorras and O Barco de Valdeorras have devastated vast tracts of forest and forced evacuations. More than 50,000 hectares have already been lost this summer, one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory.
For locals who have seen homes, farmland and natural reserves consumed by flames, the sight of celebratory fireworks has been viewed as a painful symbol of political detachment.
Political fallout
The scandal has widened Spain’s already polarised debate over climate policy and fire prevention. With the ruling PSOE and the opposition PP unable to reach consensus on long-term solutions, Rodríguez’s actions have been seized upon as evidence of political complacency.
Calls for her resignation are intensifying, though she has not yet responded to mounting criticism. For many in Galicia, the question is no longer whether the fireworks were inappropriate, but whether the incident will cost Rodríguez her career.
Source: 20 Minutos