Spain: Sánchez hit by corruption scandal
Pedro Sánchez's left-wing government has been rocked by a new corruption scandal after a report emerged according to which the secretary general of his ruling PSOE party, Santos Cerdán, received bribes for awarding public work contracts. The government has been plagued by allegations of corruption for some time, with Sánchez's wife and brother having been implicated. However so far the prime minister has rejected calls for a snap election.
A dreadful disappointment
The government should persevere despite everything, lawyer Joaquín Urías stresses in Eldiario.es:
“The news that crooks in this government took commissions for public contracts and were involved in all kinds of corrupt dealings is outrageous. ... Certainly this government has suffered more unjustified attacks from the right than any other. ... But it has persevered. Thanks in part to the support of many democrats who believe in elections. ... Prime Minister Sánchez must now show understanding for our dreadful disappointment. ... Giving up is the easiest solution [for the government]. ... To demonstrate for the first time that it really wants to fight corruption and be a genuine left-wing government will be more difficult.”
Sweeping judgements are unfair
La Vanguardia warns against lumping all politicians together:
“'You son of a bitch' or 'traitor' are some of the messages that certain Socialist ministers have sent Santos Cerdán this week. The former PSOE secretary general has torpedoed his party's credibility. ... The [recorded] conversations call into question the party's honesty and by extension that of politicians in general. ... And that's wrong. Not everyone is the same. ... There are many decent politicians who have served in the administration for years and through whose hands a lot of money has passed, but they never took a single euro. Given the tense political situation and the lack of support for the current leadership, an anti-system vote is the easy option. ... But that would be very unfair.”
Scandal-plagued PM using diversion tactics
Sánchez shouldn't pin the blame on others, The Times criticises:
“The Spanish people deserve better. Better governance, more accountability and the kind of openness essential to holding the centre ground. ... Mr Sánchez smells conspiracy everywhere but the fact is that police investigators and the judiciary appear to have been working scrupulously. In reality, Mr Sánchez's rule since 2018 has been a catalogue of unforced errors. ... Mr Sánchez's bluster has two functions: to divert attention from his stumbling, back-scratching coalition of centrists, leftists and Catalan and Basque separatists, and to present the alternative alignment of conservatives and Vox as the real bogeymen.”