Communist-style propaganda and virtue signaling were out in full force Tuesday when Spanish Environmental Minister Teresa Ribera allegedly traveled via private jet and then hopped on an electric bicycle while being escorted by gasoline-powered vehicles to a climate summit held by the European Union.
A video of Ribera, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, went viral and has drawn tremendous backlash on Twitter. For the last mile of the trip, she made the journey on an electric bike to the European Summit of Environment and Energy Ministers.
The public relations stunt seems purely for show -- after all, who cycles in such attire? Furthermore, the lack of a helmet and cycling shoes is noticeable and suggests she was only on the bike for a short distance.
Spanish Socialist Minister Teresa Ribera travelled to the EU Climate Summit on a private jet, pulled up to the venue in a limo and then got out and rode a bike escorted by cars a few feet.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 11, 2023
These people are frauds.
pic.twitter.com/A6r6fjLDLR
"Teresa Ribera's thing about making you arrive by bicycle at a climate summit, traveling barely a hundred meters, escorted by two armored gasoline cars is another of the images that perfectly define this government," one user tweeted.
Officials from the conservative Partido Popular (People's Party) mocked the minster (as well as the rest of the internet):
"To go to the meeting on her bike, she went with an official car in front of her and another behind her, creating double the emissions, so people would take photos of her.
"How ridiculous, minister. Aren't you embarrassed?" Spanish politician Esteban González Pons tweeted.
Para llegar en bici a la reunión ha ido con un coche oficial delante y otro detrás, emitiendo el doble de humo, para hacerle fotos.
— González Pons (@gonzalezpons) July 10, 2023
Buscad el video, es para partirse.
El sanchismo también es postureo.
Qué ridículo, ministra, ¿no te da vergüenza parecer salida de Vota a Juan? https://t.co/yS2PopHLDH
These politicians could hold a Zoom meeting rather than traveling in private jets to climate conferences. Ribera's staged photo op indicates that political elites believe the intelligence of the average voter is lacking. However, people are waking up to this nonsense.