Madrid and Barcelona swear in anti-austerity mayors

http://www.dw.de/madrid-and-barcelona-swear-in-anti-austerity-mayors/a-18516145



The newly-elected mayors of Madrid and Barcelona, both female, have been sworn in on anti-austerity programs. Both intend to cut their own salaries, halt home evictions and end the privatization of city services.

Madrid and Barcelona swear in anti-austerity mayors
14.06.2015

Seventy-one-year-old retired judge Manuela Carmena (photo) has been sworn in as mayor at the Madrid City Council to end 24 years of city rule by the conservative Popular Party (PP). The PP also runs national government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

At Saturday's Madrid council meeting, she was supported by 29 of the 57 city representatives. She was backed by the 20 members from her own Ahora Madrid (Madrid Now) group and nine from the Socialist party. She is also supported by Spain's new anti-austerity party, Podemos.

"We are at the service of the citizens of Madrid. We want to govern by listening. We want them to call us by our first names," Carmena said.

She has promised to stamp out corruption, develop public transport, increase subsidies for poor families and reduce the mayor's salary by more than half to 45,000 euros ($51,000).