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Spain’s Transport Minister Deletes Post After Using Paris Metro Photo to Criticize Madrid

The misattributed image exposed a political feud over who is responsible for Madrid’s transport performance.

Overview

  • He shared on X an image of a crowded platform with the ironic caption “Circulación normalizada en Metro de Madrid.”
  • Users quickly identified the photo as from the Paris subway, reportedly taken in 2023 and originally posted by the account @rubencio70.
  • After being alerted to the error, he removed the post, but screenshots continued to circulate across social media and news sites.
  • Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Metro de Madrid CEO Ignacio Vázquez Casavilla publicly reproached him, with Vázquez suggesting he cite images of national rail disruptions instead.
  • The episode was widely framed as another example of his combative online style and as a proxy fight over regional versus national responsibility for transport services.