The PSOE, expectant in the crossfire between Ábalos, Koldo and Cerdán

MadridWithin the Socialist party, and also within the Spanish government, they are closely monitoring any information that may emerge in the context of the corruption investigation opened by the Supreme Court, which implicates the last two secretaries of the PSOE organization, José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán, as well as the former advisor to the former, Koldo García. But they are also waiting to hear what they might say in order to defend themselves, above all. of the accusation that links them to the awarding of allegedly irregular public works. On the eve of Ábalos and Koldo García's statement in the Supreme Court this Monday, the crossfire between them and the resulting feeling of every man for himself leads the socialists to fear that the wound becomes even bigger.

The latest to fuel this scenario has been Ábalos himself. "I'm a carallot [...] and they've used me [Santos Cerdán and Koldo García]," the former minister asserted in an interview on Cadena SER last Thursday. "[Both] came with a previous dynamic [from Navarra] and penetrated the Ministry [of Transport], where they put pressure to try to influence [public procurement]," he added. The former minister also expressed discontent with the difference in treatment from within the Socialist ranks, particularly from Pedro Sánchez, between him and Santos Cerdán: "They mistreated me from day one," he said. He immediately opened the door to reaching an agreement with the Prosecutor's Office.

However, how far will Ábalos' expression of discontent go this Monday in the Supreme Court? It remains uncertain. Furthermore, it should be noted that the former minister removed the PSOE from the equation, asserting that the party is clean regarding alleged irregular financing. In any case, this Saturday night, the program The Sixth Explanation He claimed that Ábalos' intention was to admit the "tripijoc" with public contracts to the judge investigating the case, Leopoldo Puente, and place Santos Cerdán at the center of the plot. But Ábalos later denied this on the social network X.: "I categorically deny the information [from La Sexta] about my statement in the Supreme Court. I have never spoken about my strategy and I deny the terms being expressed in the program," he stated.

Meanwhile, Santos Cerdán is keeping a low profile. "I will make a statement before the judge, which is where I have to prove my innocence. Until I know the entire case, which is not complete, I will not make a statement," he told the media waiting for him at the entrance of his home a few days ago. His lawyer, Benet Salellas, has asked the Supreme Court to postpone his statement scheduled for June 30. Cerdán has staunchly maintained his innocence from the outset, although the audio recordings that have emerged from the investigation incriminate him in the plot.

But all this is nothing new. The relationship between the three was already born amid mistrust, considering that Koldo García, the third person implicated in the plot, secretly recorded the conversations he had with Ábalos and Cerdán between 2019 and 2023. According to the UCO (Central University of Catalonia), he did this to have a "guarantee in the event of their disagreements." That is, if the data went wrong, he would have a way to defend himself and not be left alone.

Added to this squabble is the mystery surrounding everything that remains unknown about the case, which has the PSOE on tenterhooks. At the request of the Supreme Court judge, the Civil Guard has just gathered more information on those involved, from the content of their technological devices to personal emails. something that has resulted in the image of the agents entering the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz StreetThe UCO has also compiled information on public procurement contracts under scrutiny.

The NATO summit

And if all this weren't enough for Sánchez, this last week of June also has a lot of other fronts, although some of them serve to try to divert media attention from the Cerdán case. Since last Thursday, the head of the Spanish government has not had a public agenda – he resumes it this Monday with an event for the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage – because, in the words of the First Vice President, María Jesús Montero, he was "working" on the NATO summit, which starts this Tuesday the 24th and is scheduled to be held. marked by the United States' decision to go to war with Iran.

Sánchez has clung to this international agenda to avoid having to appear before the Congress of Deputies before July 9th and account for, among other things, the Cerdán case, which has infuriated the opposition but also the investiture partners. Likewise, the head of the Spanish government did not hesitate to establish his own profile before the summit, although this has led to an open clash with Donald Trump: the government rejected the proposal to increase public defense spending to 5% of GDP, something that has finally been achieved This Sunday.

The amnesty verdict

The only thing that could provide a breath of fresh air for the Spanish president this week, and a brief respite from his pro-independence partners, is the Constitutional Court's deliberations on the amnesty, which begins on Saint John's Day. Although the Constitutional Court's decision could be delayed until June 26, it is already expected to approve the law, as evidenced by the draft leaked earlier this month. However, this does not automatically resolve Carles Puigdemont's return because the key will continue to be held by the Supreme Court. Furthermore, the leaked draft does not address its application in cases of embezzlement, which are the ones affecting Carles Puigdemont and the other leaders of the Process. Therefore, despite the endorsement of constitutionality, there is no reason to believe that this case will be resolved.

However, the pro-independence partners will not only be looking to the courts. They are also awaiting what the Spanish government decides to do with BBVA's hostile takeover bid for Banc Sabadell. Junts and ERC have pressured the executive to hinder the operation by approving additional conditions to those already set by the Competition Authority, which will also be announced on Sant Joan Day. Finally, what is sure to be off the agenda this week is the official status of Catalan in the European Union. Although the EU General Affairs Council is meeting this week, the issue is not expected to be discussed—it is not on the agenda—although there is always the possibility that it could be dropped. For the time being, Sánchez should not be concerned about that front, despite the blockage in Brussels.