MADRID – Under fire at home and in the air, Spain’s prime minister is realizing that even a corruption scandal can’t cancel summer in the Canary Islands.
A bombshell police report published in early June exposed what many are now calling the most serious crisis of Sánchez’s time in power – a vast “mafia” corruption scheme allegedly deeply rooted within the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE).
Before boarding a flight back from Paraguay, where he wrapped up a three-day tour of Latin America, Sanchez calmly told reporters that he “feels strong” despite a political crisis that has forced some of his key allies to resign.
But the row is likely to continue at his annual summer residence. At a tense Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, Sánchez’s government pushed through the first stage of a new state secrets law – a law that would give the executive power to decide what constitutes a state secret.
The move has raised eyebrows in Madrid, with critics denouncing the new bill as an attempt to shield the prime minister and his inner circle from judicial and public accountability. Further reports of corruption investigations are expected before the end of the summer.
Even within Sánchez’s ranks, there is growing uneasiness as Defense Minister Margarita Robles has reportedly refused to comply with the law. The handling of state secrets, previously the responsibility of the National Intelligence Center, which reports to her ministry, will now be transferred to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Justice, and Relations with the Courts.
The Ministry of Defence did not respond to Euractiv’s request for comment.
Dominican connection
The new law could also hamper ongoing investigations into the prime minister, particularly into hundreds of undisclosed taxpayer-funded flights that have come under increasing scrutiny as part of a wider corruption scandal within the PSOE.
According to an investigation published by El Mundo, Sanchez made 582 flights in five years, more than any of his predecessors.
But one destination stood out. Among the hundreds of flights, 63 were official ones to the Dominican Republic, as first reported by the Spanish publication The Objective.
The country appears to be playing a key role in the investigation into an alleged network of bribery, rigged tenders and influence peddling linked to former Transportation Minister José Luis Ábalos. Testimony from businessman Victor de Aldama, who is believed to have been a middleman linking private companies to government contracts, points to the Dominican Republic as the central figure in the scheme.
Prosecutors allege that bribes paid to Aldama’s Dominican business network were laundered and repatriated to Spain as cash, then distributed to officials linked to the conspiracy.
In April, witnesses testifying before Spain’s Supreme Court admitted making cash payments in the Dominican Republic to former Transport Minister Abalos’s former adviser and chief organizer of the plot, Koldo Garcia, whose brother allegedly collected the cash on Aldama’s instructions.
Sanchez fights for survival in Spain as crisis reaches its peak
As Koldo affair looms, Spain’s Socialist leader struggles to cling to power amid falling public confidence.
Public accountability
Last year, Defense Minister Margarita Robles, at the request of the main opposition Popular Party, told the Senate that the Caribbean island’s strategic location made it a key stopover and technical stopover destination. That was why the number of flights was 62, she said, rather than 63.
To this day, however, the government has repeatedly refused to confirm the identities of passengers on those flights, fueling suspicions that the list could potentially include implicated officials involved in the bribery scheme.
This wall of silence is beginning to crumble. A mandatory resolution, published last Sunday by Spain’s Transparency Council at the request of El Debate, will oblige Sánchez to publish full information on 122 flights made in 2023 and 2024, including the names of passengers, destinations, dates and reasons for travel.
Access to this information is “critical” because it “clearly and directly contributes to the oversight of public activities, the management of resources and the accountability of the administration,” the report said.
However, with the new state secrets law set to be approved by Spain’s parliament after the summer recess, critics argue the executive will be able to protect itself from further revelations, reports and leaks that could damage Sanchez’s tainted government.
While the Prime Minister can enjoy the sun in Lanzarote, the heat in Madrid is only getting worse.
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Source: Source