The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has announced a decree providing aid for the victims of the Urda train accident, pledging that the government will support the families of the 69 victims "at every step, in their mourning and in every procedure, but also in the search for answers to what should never have happened." He made this statement during his speech at the World in Progress Barcelona 2026 forum, organised by Grupo Prisa at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona.
"There are dozens of families shattered by an accident that should never have occurred, and there is also an entire country mourning alongside them. To those families, I want to say that we are and will be by their side. We will accompany them at every step: in their mourning, of course, and in every procedure, but also in the search for answers that we must find to what should never have happened," he emphasised at the beginning of his address, also remembering the 34 injured individuals who remain hospitalised, wishing them "a speedy recovery from the bottom of my heart."
Sánchez stated that independent investigators and the judiciary are working "to clarify the facts surrounding this accident" and assured that "they will do so with all necessary means to elucidate the causes, with total transparency and in a thorough and rigorous manner." He stressed that "our primary obligation as the Government of Spain is to restore the broken trust of citizens in high-speed rail as soon as possible, no matter the cost. I have no doubt that we will be able to do this by acting on various fronts," highlighting that the "most urgent and absolutely prioritised" matter at this time is the aid for the victims.
In this regard, he announced that the Council of Ministers will approve a decree based on the aid scheme previously implemented for the victims of the Adamuz accident. The decree will include a support scheme that doubles the amounts of the mandatory passenger insurance, a specific mechanism for advance compensation, a tailored temporary incapacity procedure to provide enhanced coverage for the victims, and the establishment of comprehensive and personalised support offices in the delegations and sub-delegations of the affected individuals' autonomous communities.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the "lesson" that "when everything breaks, what holds us together is what belongs to everyone," stating that "the response to this tragedy must never mean fewer public services, but rather much more investment and greater care for what belongs to all of us, because every cut in public services is a cut in our ability to protect one another in the most difficult times."
Sánchez highlighted that during these days of sorrow, "we have seen the best of our country," referring to the efforts of emergency services and the residents of Urda who "rushed to assist the injured with everything they had."
In his speech, the Prime Minister warned that "progress cannot be taken for granted, as there is always the risk of regression," especially in the "complex context we are living in." He referred to Putin's war against Ukraine, the "fierce competition" between China and the United States, and the resource disputes arising from the "illegal" war in the Middle East. "This triple challenge leads to the same conclusion: Europe needs to be stronger, more autonomous, and more united. And, above all, it needs to do so without renouncing the principles and values that define it," he argued.
Ultimately, he reiterated that "the evidence is clear: Spain is advancing, and it does so without renouncing the European social model," which is "being questioned by forces seeking to weaken Europe and undermine our unity when we need it most."
