The European Commission's reprimands in Spain

StrasbourgOn the eve of the appearance of the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, in the Congress of Deputies, The European Commission has published its assessment of the rule of law in Spain.. A report that he produces annually and in which this Monday he criticized the Moncloa government for several reasons, despite the fact that the Spanish government welcomed the fact that Europe doesn't believe they are going against judicial independence with the reforms that have been implemented (as the right claims).

More efforts in the fight against corruption

The main criticism of the European Commission's annual report on the rule of law in Spain The lack of an anti-corruption strategy and the "high risk" posed by the current legal framework regulating political party financing pose a significant challenge. These two warnings come at a time when Pedro Sánchez's administration is under siege by alleged corruption cases, primarily the Cerdán case. However, the main criticism is that they have not presented a comprehensive anti-corruption plan.

22 Strasbourg rulings to be complied with

In Spain, the duties imposed by Strasbourg are piling up, and on June 16 of that year, it still had 22 rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to comply with. This is a small improvement compared to 2024, when it had 23. Be that as it may, non-compliance is significant, and the European Commission highlights that the oldest ruling pending enforcement by the State is the lack of a law that allows for effective appeals against the expulsion of an asylum seeker.

Lack of transparency by the State

One of the most notable complaints in the Brussels report referred to the lack of transparency regarding certain information affecting public administrations. However, a year later, the European Commission criticizes the fact that "no new progress has been made" and calls for improved access to information relating to the State through a review of the Official Secrets Act.

Without letting journalists ask questions

The report notes that "it is increasingly common" for political leaders of all stripes and institutions to appear without allowing journalists to ask questions. And the Spanish government is no exception. It is an implicit reference to far-right activists Bertrand Ndongo and Vito Quiles.

In recent reports on the rule of law in Spain, the main focus was always the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). However, following the agreement between the PP and PSOE, it has been relegated to the background. However, Brussels criticizes the Council for not being fully finalized and is pressuring it to complete the reform of the judicial body's election system to bring it into line with EU standards. This means, among other things, that it should once and for all make it easier for judges to directly elect at least half of the magistrates who sit on the CGPJ.

Perceptions of corruption are growing.

Brussels warns that citizens' perception of corruption in public administrations and political parties has grown in recent years. According to a 2025 Eurobarometer survey, 89% (the EU average is 69%) of those surveyed in Spain responded that they believed corruption existed everywhere, and 51% (the EU average is 30%) said they had felt personally harmed by these illegal practices.