Navarra’s government has undergone major personnel changes: María Chivite has decided to dismiss Pedro López, who has served as Director of Public Works since 2019. The move follows a heated controversy over increased construction costs for the new Belate tunnels and a critical report prepared by the region’s internal financial control office.
Authorities have announced that a new department head will be appointed soon. All political groups supporting the current cabinet have been informed of this decision. At the same time, the government has unveiled a series of changes to project management to enhance transparency and efficiency.
Government response
One of the first steps will be updating the team responsible for technical leadership and construction oversight. From now on, the internal audit division of the Department of Economy and Finance will directly supervise the process. According to government officials, these measures are intended to minimize the risk of similar incidents in the future.
The project to double the tunnels on the N-121-A was awarded to a consortium consisting of Acciona, Osés Construcción, and Servinabar. The latter drew attention when it was revealed that 45% of its shares were owned by Santos Cerdán. The contract award process is currently under review by a special parliamentary commission.
Financial issues
Navarre’s government internal audit has imposed a temporary ban on changing the contract conditions, which would have incurred additional expenses of 8.5 million euros. In response, the Department of Territorial Development began drafting new legal mechanisms to avoid halting work considered critical for residents’ safety and compliance with European standards.
After Servinabar withdrew from the project, the consortium continued with Acciona and Osés Construcción. They were offered to proceed with the work as usual, with particular attention to meeting European safety requirements for such facilities. Payment will only be made for stages that comply with internal control directives.
Technical challenges
Officials explained the need to adjust the budget by citing difficult engineering conditions: topographical challenges, a high volume of groundwater, and additional requirements to secure permits. However, these arguments were not accepted by the financial oversight body, which led to personnel changes.
Coalition partners Geroa Bai and Contigo-Zurekin had previously insisted that the government take responsibility for the situation following the publication of the auditors’ report. The decision to dismiss the director was made literally the day after Chivite’s meeting with her allies.
