Spanish Leader Battles Corruption Allegations
Spain's socialist leader continues to counter accusations of corruption against his family and political allies, while still managing to keep his sense of humor intact.
A few weeks back, the leader of the opposing conservative party hurled familiar charges at him, suggesting that he was not fit to be a prime minister and was instead a seasoned facilitator of corruption. As the conservative leader's comments were met with applause from his party, the prime minister stood up and responded with a simple, "Chin up."
His response seemed to be a calculated reminder of the conservative party's own past scandals.
Critical Moments in Political History
Seven years ago, the prime minister came to power by using a vote of no confidence to topple the conservative party's government. The conservative party was embroiled in so many scandals at the time that the prime minister accused it of turning Spanish politics into a "corruption thriller".
The former treasurer of the conservative party was later jailed for 33 years for fraud and money laundering. The conservative party itself was found to have benefited from an illegal scheme involving kickbacks for contracts. A week later, the conservative party was out of government, and the socialist leader was Spain's new prime minister.
Despite these past events, the prime minister is firm in his efforts to combat corruption. He insists that the cases against his family members are politically motivated attacks by his right-wing and far-right adversaries and their media backers.
Questioning Judicial Independence
Adding to the controversy, the prime minister has raised questions about the impartiality of some members of the Spanish judiciary. He claimed that some judges are involved in politics, and some politicians are trying to play the role of judges.
This notion was put to the test recently when Spain's attorney general stood trial for allegedly revealing confidential information. The attorney general, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is accused of leaking details of a case involving a businessman under investigation for alleged tax fraud to a media outlet. The businessman is the partner of a regional president and one of the prime minister's harshest critics.
The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, will hear testimonies from 40 witnesses, including prosecutors, press officers, journalists, police officers, politicians, lawyers, and the businessman himself.
Family Matters
Another significant event was when the prime minister announced that he was temporarily stepping back from his public duties and considering his political future after a court launched an investigation into his wife for alleged corruption.
His wife was accused of using her position as the prime minister's wife to secure sponsors for a university master's degree course she was running and of using state funds to pay her assistant for personal matters.
The prime minister's younger brother is also being investigated over allegations of influence-peddling. It was alleged that he was given a custom job by the socialist-led council of a southwestern city in July 2017, when his brother was the national leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' party.
Both the prime minister's wife and brother have denied any wrongdoing. The prime minister has insisted that his family has been the victim of a "harassment and bullying operation" and that they have not committed any offence.
The Prime Minister Fights Back
Despite the various judicial challenges threatening his legacy, the prime minister insists his focus remains on governing. However, his minority coalition government may struggle to pass legislation without the support of the Catalan separatist party, which has announced it would end its support for the government due to its failure to deliver on a deal struck two years ago.
Despite these hurdles, a recent poll suggested that the socialist party could be recovering from its summer of scandal. The socialists were ahead with 34.8%, a lead not seen for six years, which may fuel hopes in the prime minister's circle that voters are rallying behind the party in response to what they perceive as politically driven court cases.
Much will depend on the cases that reach court and the outcomes of these trials over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, the prime minister is continuing to forge ahead, as he always has.