Brussels is taking issue with Spain for not fighting corruption enough in the midst of the Cerdán case.
The European Commission's annual rule of law report warns of a "high risk" of corruption in the financing of political parties in Spain.
StrasbourgBrussels deals a harsh blow to Pedro Sánchez's government in the middle of the Cerdán caseThe European Commission's annual report on the rule of law criticizes the Spanish government for its failure to combat corruption and urges it to take further measures to reverse this situation. Along the same lines, the European Commission warns that there remains a "high risk" of corruption in the financing of Spain's political parties. Furthermore, the assessment criticizes "the lack of a unified strategy that could lead to fragmentation" and, consequently, "insufficient oversight of anti-corruption measures."
For this reason, the European Commission urges the Spanish government to implement a "comprehensive state strategy for the prevention and fight against corruption," and notes that the Moncloa (Ministry of Justice) has not even "begun work" to implement it, despite the fact that it was planned in September of last year. In this regard, Brussels asks the Spanish government to "redouble its efforts" to reduce the "duration of investigations." "The objective is to increase the effectiveness of the processing of high-level corruption cases," states the report from the European Commission.
The European Commission also classifies the risk of corruption in sectors such as infrastructure or public service contracts as "high" and warns of the perception of citizens and companies regarding corruption in public administration and political leaders. According to the Eurobarometer included in the report of the Community executive, 40% of companies across the country are convinced that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender for at least the last three years. This rate is fifteen percentage points higher than the average for European Union member states.
As for to the amnesty lawAlthough the Spanish right had long predicted that Brussels would criticize it, the annual rule of law report barely mentions it and merely notes that it has been upheld by the Constitutional Court, although there are four preliminary rulings pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In any case, the EU executive is scheduled to rule next Tuesday at the hearing on two preliminary rulings on the amnesty law, which will be held in the Luxembourg court.
However, the assessment of the rule of law in Spain avoids mentioning specific cases of corruption, such as those of the last two PSOE organization secretaries, José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán. Nor did the European Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath, mention these names. When the EU leader was asked at a press conference about the corruption cases besieging the Moncloa Palace, he dodged the issue and, far from getting involved, declined to delve into what he considered "individual cases." Thus, he merely highlighted one of the chapters of the conclusions of the annual report on the rule of law in Spain. "The Spanish government is required by law to adopt a comprehensive strategy to prevent corruption," insisted the European Commission's Justice Minister.
PSOE and PP throw plates at each other's heads
In these types of European Commission reports, both the PSOE and the PP routinely seize the opportunity to seize on the parts of the document that most suit them and use them to attack the other. Thus, sources from the Moncloa (Spanish Parliament) "welcome" the conclusions and assert that they "confirm" that none of the reforms pushed through by the Spanish government "affect the rule of law or judicial independence." "Europe not only supports the justice reforms, but also debunks the lies that have been insistently repeated to halt the greatest transformation of the justice system in decades," the Socialist executive points out.
In contrast, the number two member of the European People's Party, Catalan MEP Dolors Montserrat, sees it very differently and describes the European Commission's report on the Spanish justice system as "devastating." "Spain's corruption is setting off alarm bells in Europe," the PP tweeted. Along the same lines, although Brussels hasn't commented on the amnesty law, she asserts that Brussels has "doubts about its legality." She also asserts that judges and journalists are being persecuted in the Spanish state, and that judicial independence is "nonexistent." "Sánchez is a danger," the conservative concludes.
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All conservative judges' and prosecutors' associations, which constitute the majority, have taken their battle against the judicial reform promoted by Justice Minister Félix Bolaños to the European Union institutions. Bolaños is accused of wanting to "colonize" the judiciary and "undermine" the separation of powers and the rule of law in Spain.
Representatives of these organizations have confirmed that they have invited the various European parliamentary groups and will hold meetings with almost all of them, except for the Party of European Socialists (PES). They also met with the President of the European Parliament, the Conservative Roberta Metsola, and the Vice President of the European Commission, also from the People's Party (EPS), Henna Virkkunen.
Beyond the prosecutors' association, all the progressive entities—the Independent Judicial Forum (FJI), the Association of Prosecutors (AF), and the Professional and Independent Association of Prosecutors (APIF)—that have called the judicial strike against the modification of access to the judicial career and the Organic Statute of the Public Prosecutor's Office are also participating.
In any case, these entities have avoided delving into the substance of the Bolaños reform in their statements to the press, and Dexeus has simply described it as a "dressing-up operation." The candidates for judges and prosecutors are largely from the middle or upper classes.
