Santiago de Compostela, 7 September 2026 — The Xunta de Galicia has defended President Alfonso Rueda for missing the weekly meeting of the Consello so he could attend the Madrid on Forum Europa of the Nueva Economía Fórum There, he appeared alongside the president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas,. The Conselleiro for the Presidency, Diego Calvo, who stood in for Rueda at the meeting, said this was “the best place he could be today”.
Calvo chaired the Consello meeting in Santiago de Compostela and later told the press that proceedings had gone ahead “with complete normality”. Rueda had been informed of all the items approved. The government cited no specific postponements or legal consequences arising from his absence.
The appearance in the Spanish capital was part of the Forum Europa events programme. Vivas used the appearance to set out his political assessment of the situation in Ceuta. Other office-holders from the Partido Popular were also present. The Xunta said the visit to Madrid was intended to show political support for a fellow office-holder.
The opposition criticised the choice of priorities. The leader of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, accused Rueda of putting internal party events and appearances outside Galicia ahead of running his own government. The Bloque Nacionalista Galego’s spokesperson, Ana Pontón, also criticised Rueda for neglecting his duties at the Consello when attending party-linked events at the same time. Both were returning to earlier debates about the president’s repeated absences from the weekly cabinet meeting.
The Xunta rejected the allegations. Calvo stressed that decisions with greater significance were carefully prepared by the body and that the Consello remained able to function. The government gave no details of the current meeting’s main topics and made no mention of delays or deferrals.
Calvo also made clear that Rueda was in contact with his counterpart regarding events in Ceuta. The Madrid engagement had been added to the president’s diary without affecting the regional government’s ability to act. The Xunta announced no further political steps relating to Ceuta.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).