Wednesday’s session in Congress saw a debate concerning the future of the ‘chiringuitos’, or bars and restaurants built on the beaches, which the Ministry of the Environment claims should be moved off the sand according to the Coasts Law.

The Minister, Elena Espinosa, merely stated that the law would be applied, telling the PP member Celia Villalobos that her party had had plenty of opportunities to change the law when they were in power. What really caused sparks to fly however was a comment made by PSOE member for Malaga, Miguel Ángel Heredia, about a billboard attacking the Government set up by the City Hall at a cost of 5,000 euros near the works of the new promenade on the west side of the city. Using an old saying he hinted that the mayor was stealing the taxpayers’ money. This caused Villalobos, herself a former mayor of Malaga, to jump up in defence of the present mayor, and after a long row with the Vice-President of the House about speaking out of turn she stormed out, calling Heredia a thief himself.