The PNV calls on the Spanish Government to dialogue with France to resolve the "bottleneck" of traffic in Irun

ThePNV spokeswoman at the Congress, Maribel Cowboy , has asked the Spanish Government to get involved and "talk" with her French counterpart to solve the"traffic congestion at the border" of Irun , where there are long traffic jams in the summerfrom Biriatou  toFrance.

In a statement, Cowboy called on the Spanish institutions to cooperate and act as interlocutors because, in his view, it cannot be "merely a spectator of this problem. "

He has also criticized the "demagoguery" of the mayor of Irun, Cristina DA, and has pointed out that the problem is not that "roads are missing"in the municipality, but that France has turned the border into a bottleneck.

Cowboy explained that "the traffic jams that collapse every summer in Irun and the Bidasoa region are mainly due to restrictions, lane closures and controls imposed by the French authorities at the border and in the Biriatou area. "

He therefore believes that we must continue to work to improve mobility in Irun and throughout Gipuzkoa, but "to pretend that the traffic jams of these days will be solved simply by building more roads is to deliberately divert attention. "In his view," it is irresponsible to simplify a cross-border problem of this magnitude in order to turn it into an internal political struggle. "

The PNV spokesman in Congress has pointed out thatthe  issue requires "anticipation, coordination and, above all, collaboration between institutionsthat seek solutions and the interest of all citizens ". He has therefore indicated that the Basque Government is working with local police and French authorities to manage traffic and try to minimise the impact of this type of situation.

"However, there is a reality that we cannot hide behind a debate on roads: decisions that reduce the capacity of the border are made in France, but we suffer from traffic jams here. And when France closes or limits transit routes, as is happening now, the Bidasoa area automatically becomes a waiting area for a European border, "he has denounced.

Cowboy has pointed out that the current Secretary of State for Transport\u00A0, José Antonio Santano , "is well aware of the consequences of cross-border traffic in Irun and the Bidasoa region. Even when he was mayor of Irun, he urged the Spanish government to become involved in solving the problems arising from the border, which have now been exacerbated by the crisis in Ceuta."

"From his current responsibility, he has the opportunity to do what he asked from Madrid whenhe was in Irun, "he added.