Madrid : Spain’s biggest cities Madrid and Barcelona were completing one of the nation’s biggest political upheavals in years by swearing in far-left mayors on Saturday.
The radical leaders have promised to cut their own salaries, halt homeowner evictions and eliminate perks enjoyed by the rich and famous.
Other cities and towns around the country swore in new council members and mayors. The leadership change comes weeks after Spain’s two largest traditional parties were punished in nationwide local elections by voters groaning under the weight of austerity measures and repulsed by a string of corruption scandals.
In Madrid, 71-year-old retired judge Manuela Carmena was among the first mayors to be sworn in, ending 24 years of rule by the conservative Popular Party in Spain’s capital.
Carmena vowed among other things to take on wealthy Madrilenos who enjoy exclusive use of the city-owned Club de Campo country club opening it to the masses. “We’re creating a new kind of politics that doesn’t fit within the conventions,” she said ahead of today’s vote. “Get ready.” In Barcelona, anti-eviction activist Ada Colau is due to be sworn in this evening. Colau questioned whether it’s worth spending 4 million euros (USD 4.5 million) of city money to help host the glitzy Formula 1 race every other year.
