The Spanish government approves the anti-corruption plan promised in the Cerdán case

The Spanish government is taking another step toward its promise to eradicate corruption in institutions and businesses. The Council of Ministers on Tuesday gave its first approval (the legislative process has barely begun) to the draft of the Organic Law on Public Integrity, a measure that stems from an agreement between the two partners in Spain's coalition government, the PSOE and Sumar, following the outbreak of the Santos Cerdán case—the former number three of the PSOE. "The draft law is part of the fight against corruption," said First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, at a press conference on Tuesday. When Santos Cerdán's name surfaced, the party of Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, demanded "forceful" action from the Socialists in combating corruption. The Cerdán case, also linked to former Socialist minister José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor Koldo García, caused a significant rift in the relationship between the PSOE and Sumar, as well as with the other parties in the investiture bloc. It also provided ammunition for the right and far right to undermine Pedro Sánchez. 84 measures

The reform approved this Tuesday includes 84 measures that seek to address "the entire cycle of corruption," according to Montero, who defended it as an "ambitious law." The Spanish government plans to bring the legislation back to the Council of Ministers before the summer. It would then go to Congress, where it will need the approval of the lower house, at least from the parties that supported the investiture.

New Public Integrity Agency

Pending the full details of the reform, the measures include the creation of an "independent" Public Integrity Agency tasked with "preventing, monitoring, and prosecuting" any corrupt practices. This new agency will consolidate the roles of the current Office of Conflicts of Interest, the Whistleblower Protection Authority, and the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service. Furthermore, new technologies will play a key role in this corruption prevention effort. The law stipulates improved information sharing through database connectivity; the digitization of expenditure records from the State Comptroller's Office; the adaptation of technologies to "automatically" detect potential conflicts of interest; and the use of artificial intelligence to modernize the Public Procurement Platform and the National Grants Database.

Changes are also being introduced in the criminal sphere: the statute of limitations for corruption offenses is being extended from 5 to 7 years. "The aim is to prevent the statute of limitations from generating impunity for corrupt individuals," the Spanish government stated.

Control in political parties

Controls on political parties and transparency regarding donations received by both political organizations and their foundations are also being strengthened. The threshold for disclosing individual donations will be reduced from €25,000 to €2,500. Furthermore, the law will require them to undergo external and independent audits of their accounts.

Blacklist of companies

A public and accessible "blacklist" of corrupt companies will be created: companies that have been "convicted of corruption, fraud, bribery or money laundering" will be prohibited from continuing to hold contracts with the administration (the maximum penalties of disqualification for contracting or receiving are increased from 15 to 20 years).