Automatically translated from Basque, translation may contain errors. More information here. Elhuyarren itzultzaile automatikoaren logoa

"What you do with garbage is illegal, you have to address that problem."

  • With EUR 125 million, the Municipality of Pamplona has the third highest budget in Navarre, and offers water supply, garbage collection or urban transport to some 350,000 inhabitants. On 28 September, the assembly of election of the president of the community raised a great deal of expectation.

07 October 2019 - 09:48
Bere hautatua atera zen egunean Campión botoa ematen. (Arg.: Iruñerriko Mankomunitatea) Bere hautatua atera zen egunean Campión botoa ematen. (Arg.: Iruñerriko Mankomunitatea)

That morning, after the withdrawal of the candidature of Aritz Aiesa by EH Bildu, the mayor of Ollo, David Campion (Pamplona, 1969) took another step in the assembly. Navarra Suma saw the victory assured because the PSN would support his candidate; in the second vote, the PSN changed its mind and, with the votes of EH Bildu, Geroa Bai and five independent candidates, Campion was inaugurated president.

After being appointed, you considered “historic” that the mayor of a small council should assume the leadership of the community. The problem of territorial imbalance in Navarre is just around the corner. Is this imbalance also evident in the County of Pamplona itself?

Yes, with less than ten inhabitants, ger,or it is already considered an uninhabited space. In the same region of Pamplona, for example, the Goñi Valley has three inhabitants per square kilometre. One of the reasons is the lack of services and, as a service provider, you can do something. It does not have all the powers, but it does in the area of supplies and transport. The lack of buses to go to the capital or to other towns, for example, has its influence. You can only go by taxi and pay a cash. It's a problem.

Has it been the “Plan B of EH Bildu”, as Navarre Suma criticized after the assembly?

No. As independent representatives we held two meetings with Navarra Suma and EH Bildu, and they explained their intentions to us. Our idea was not to support EH Bildu, but his program. We did not like Navarre's proposal Suma on the treatment of waste, because it was delayed four years after what had been done so far was paralysed. If they had expressed their intention to continue, it would indeed be considered to vote.

As a result of the political consequences, the assembly raised a great deal of expectation. Were you uncomfortable?

I'm not used to media issues, but I've felt comfortable. Accusing me of belonging to EH Bildu... Well, I'm not from EH Bildu, but I also don't think it's a political choice to reject. I have chosen, yes, not to look at the newspapers the following day, and from then on it is noted that the wave’s foam has gone down. We are genuinely independent, and sometimes political parties find it difficult to understand that there are people who are not militants of a party.

The right accuses you of not really being independent.

Being independent doesn't mean ... I am not a frog, I have political ideology, I am on the left, but I have never been linked to any party.

You are a PhD in Ecology and, as President, in your first words you have given special importance to the environment. What can be done from the community?

It serves many people and inevitably has a negative impact on the climate. It is one of the largest companies in Navarre, with about 500 workers, who manage waste and transport, and whose activities have an environmental impact. Since previous years there has been a line of work to reduce CO2 emissions, as well as to enhance proactive CO2 uptake activities. For example, in the State it drives projects for reafforestation, but now we want to see that this can also be done in the region of Pamplona.

In these four years Aritz Aiesa has been president and you have been a member of the assembly. What balance does it make?

The Commonwealth is a relatively modern enterprise. Everyone sees that transport, water supply or river conditions are improving... But he's had a stone in his foot for a long time: the treatment of the garbage. In addition to affecting the environment, the law is not complied with and the Government of Navarre imposes strict fines on it. In the end, the citizens pay. What is done with garbage is illegal and that problem must be tackled. Important work has been done over the past four years and the project of a waste treatment centre has been launched. Nobody wants to be close to home, but something needs to be done.

Does the Góngora landfill also have a deadline?

Yes. There is an agreement with the City of Aranguren that must be closed by 2022.

As an alternative, the Imarcoain treatment centre project is under way. Will it give time, knowing that there are complaints against the project?

We are within the deadline. Private individuals, local councils and the Subai Foundation have brought in absolutely legitimate resources. We'll see what solutions they have. At home, they're optimistic. Nobody wants to have such a center, but we have to do something. We have to act responsibly and the Region of Pamplona has to internalise that, once the transition period has passed, what is generated here is dealt with here. When we met with Juanjo Etxeberria from Navarra Suma, he told us that they were going to paralyze the construction project of the center of Imarcoain. He suggested moving the trash to the Culebrete landfill in Tudela.

In urban transport, the fleet has been renovated and is currently hybrid and electric vehicles. A sustainable mobility plan has been adopted. What do you think you can do?

We are going to carry out the modernisation of both buses and waste collection trucks. Of course, the trend is that these are electric vehicles. Another option for the future is that the gas generated at the Imarcoain plant feeds the trucks, which can recharge the vehicles throughout the night.

At the end of the last legislature, Parliament passed the law on the city map, but its development is paralysed. How will it affect the community?

According to the news, the law has entered into a process of reflection that is being carried out. In his day I protected him. It's not a round law, but it's a pretty reasonable law compared to other laws that were previously filed. As independents, there are things we don't like, because parties are given a lot of weight, but if those two years serve to improve the law, it would be OK. The Community will not be affected very much, all current resources will be integrated into the same region.


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