Spain: thread on the chaos around anti-pandemic measures in Madrid (541 cases per 100,000 in past fortnight). A chapter of errors that marks a low for the country's poisonous politics . Nobody comes out well, but the conservative regional govt in Madrid (CM) comes out worst 1/

The CM failed to act as Madrid became Europe's coronavirus blackspot. It argued that the economy comes first. But delaying necessary measures hurts the economy (tourism etc) too. When at last it acted, it did so in a discriminatory way, ignoring that the city is a single whole 2/

The CM imposed restrictions on poor southern districts although people there were still allowed to move in and out for work, servicing richer barrios. It refused the government's demand to apply the measures to the whole city 3/

When the government required it do so, the CM's order implementing the national government's measures contained procedural mistakes, failing to cite the 1986 public health law on which it was based.
https://bit.ly/3iM1daw 
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The CM sought and won an injunction knocking down its own order barring movement in and out of the city--but then urged madrileños not to travel for this long holiday weekend! The injunction left the government little choice but to impose a 15-day state of emergency in Madrid.5/

The opposition PP correctly points out that it urged Pedro Sánchez's left-wing national government four months ago to reform public health legislation to allow local restrictions without the approval of courts. The government has made no effort at all to do so. 6/

The CM argues that its partial measures were working; contagion has fallen (from 648 cases on Friday). But its critics rightly point out that other European cities have taken much tougher measures with far lower infections. 7/

True, other European countries are now as bad as Spain. But for the long-suffering public in Madrid, the overriding impression is that the politicians on both sides are more interested in their own battles than in the health of the population. 8/8