Crisis meetings as fallout from power outage continues

Crisis management and national security top the agenda on Tuesday morning as political leaders grapple with the fallout from Monday's sweeping blackout across the Iberian peninsula.

The Catalan government's crisis committee convened again on Tuesday morning – their fifth meeting so far – to provide an update on the ongoing situation.

Around 400 customers are still without power, according to information from Endesa operators, while around 1,000 people are waiting at Barcelona-Sants station to catch the high-speed AVE to Madrid.

This was explained by the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, in a statement to the media at the Palau de la Generalitat.

Parlon did not take any questions, but added that transport disruptions are concentrated in the Rodalies train network only and that work is being done "intensively" to restore services.

All other public transport services are operating normally.

The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) had no major issues to deal with during the night, and there were no significant incidents related to the power outage, Parlon said.

Firefighters did have to intervene to help people with reduced mobility or those experiencing mobility difficulties.

There were also some people hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.

The crisis committee will meet again at 1:00 pm, with Catalan President Salvador Illa holding a regular cabinet meeting at 9:30am as usual.

Sánchez thanks citizens

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday morning that, "after an intense night," 99.95% of electricity supply had been restored and 100% of power substations are operating normally.

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Sánchez also thanked citizens, saying they had "once again set an example of responsibility and civic spirit."

The PM is taking part in another session of the National Security Council on Tuesday morning, this time presided over by King Felipe VI.

Barcelona mayor welcomes "rapid return to normality"

Barcelona mayor, Jaume Collboni, welcomed the "rapid return to normality" in the city nearly 24 hours after the power outage began.

"The objective was to start the day with maximum normality given the circumstances and we achieved it," the mayor said.

Collboni explained that electricity was restored to "practically" all parts of the city by around 3am and also highlighted the absence of significant traffic or public safety incidents.

Another emergency committee meeting – the fifth so far – will take place at 1:30pm to monitor the situation. The mayor explained that 789 incidents related to the power outage have been resolved, with 71% involving rescues of people trapped in elevators or assisting those with reduced mobility who could not enter or exit their homes.

More than 250 people spent the night at four locations set up by Barcelona City Council. About forty traffic lights are still not functioning.

Water supply

Collboni said that there was still no water supply in the city's higher neighborhoods, above 200 meters. The mayor said they were very concerned and had asked Aigües de Barcelona to take all necessary steps to resolve the issue over the course of the day.

The city's schools have opened normally, with only five municipal nursery schools remaining closed due to problems with electricity or water supply.

Collboni described a situation of general "normality" in terms of economic activity at sites including Mercabarna wholesale market, the Zona Franca free trade zone, the Port of Barcelona and the airport.

The mayor gave assurances that the Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Inter Milan can take place as scheduled on Wednesday.

"Political opportunism"

Opposition politicians have taken contrasting views of the Spanish and Catalan governments' response to the power outage.

The head of left-wing Comuns in the Catalan Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, criticized the "political opportunism" of those who couldn't wait even 12 hours to try to topple a government and "play politics with people's distress."

However, far-left pro-independence CUP said the Catalan government reacted too late and "could have gone out" to inform the public about the blackout "three hours earlier" than it did.

CUP MP Laure Vega said that the party has requested the appearance of President Salvador Illa in Parliament to provide the explanations they deem necessary.

Pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) said the "lack of information or delayed information" regarding the blackout "hindered" the implementation of swift responses at all levels.

The party offered its support to the government to help restore the situation and expressed gratitude for the work of public servants and the media during the outage.

At a Spain-wide level, ERC requested the urgent appearance at the Spanish Congress of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, along with several ministers.

On Tuesday morning, the leader of the conservative People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, was critical of the Spanish government for failing to provide "even a minimal explanation" for the cause of the blackout.