🧑‍⚖️ This Week in Spain: PM Sánchez to Testify in Probe Against Wife

Also: Scandal at the Women's Institute and Junts continues to raise hell.

Jul 25, 2024

By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | July 25, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #67

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🥜 This Week in a Nutshell: We’re a week away from our summer break and it looks like despite our expectations, this continues to be an eventful summer now that Junts is waging war against the government and PM Sánchez has been summoned to testify in the corruption probe against his wife.

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The plot (kinda) thickens

⚖️ It Looks Like PM Pedro Sánchez Will Have to Take the Stand (as a Witness)

As you know, we at Tapa only cover the stories that really matter. And if you like to follow the news as much as we do, you’ve probably noticed that in the last few weeks there’s been a lot of talk about the case investigating Begoña Gómez, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife.

Gómez, as we’ve covered here in the past, is under investigation for alleged influence peddling. However, there’s a difference between being investigated and being found guilty, so whenever there’s been news about this case (such as when she was summoned to testify a few weeks ago), we’ve chosen not to cover it until something more substantial happens.

That all changed this week after we learned that judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is leading the investigation, has summoned PM Sánchez to testify in the case and, well, that’s pretty newsworthy, mainly because it’s sent the political class into a frenzy.

Lefty outrage, Righty demands. The left is outraged, accusing the judge of engaging in “lawfare” against the PM. For its part, the right-leaning PP is asking for Sánchez to resign and Vox’s Santiago Abascal is patting himself on the back, boasting that he’s the one who asked the judge to do this.
So what the hell is going on? Let’s start from the beginning.

An organization called Manos Limpias (a far-right, pseudo-union that loves to file [mostly] bogus lawsuits against leftist leaders) filed a suit in April, asking to investigate Gómez based on evidence that was, well, pretty thin. The lawsuit is possible because there’s a legal provision in Spain known as the “people’s accusation,” which allows private individuals or groups to bring criminal complaints against third parties.

Manos Limpias accused Gómez of using her connections to her husband’s office to establish beneficial relationships with businesses and entities. Specifically, they say that Gómez exploited her position to secure sponsorships for a master’s program she co-directed at the Complutense University, potentially engaging in influence peddling. This is something that Gómez vehemently denies.
When Judge Peinado decided to start an inquiry into whether Gómez abused her status for personal gain, Sánchez posted a letter on social media saying he was taking five days off from prime ministering to decide whether he was going to continue in office or not. You remember the story. If not, it’s here.

Since then, Sánchez has staunchly defended his wife, condemned the accusations as “baseless and politically motivated”, and insisted that the investigation is a “smear campaign” orchestrated by his political adversaries on the right (back in May, a report from the Guardia Civil leaked to El País reportedly found no evidence of influence peddling; Peinado decided to move forward with the investigation).

Mum’s the word. On July 5, Gómez appeared before Peinado and chose not to answer any questions, arguing that she didn’t know what she was being investigated for. Her statement was moved then to July 19, but on that day she abided by her constitutional right not to answer any questions.
Evidence-free? Her defense, led by former Interior Minister Antonio Camacho, said that the charges are “without merit” and politically driven and that her decision to remain silent was “a legal strategy, not an indication of guilt”. To this day, her defense maintains that there is no substantive evidence supporting the accusations.
Far-right party Vox, which has joined the lawsuit, warned through its lawyer, European lawmaker Jorge Buxadé that if she didn’t want to testify, they would ask Peinado to summon Sánchez as a witness.

Up for a chat, Pedro? Now we come to this week, when we found out that Peinado has indeed summoned PM Sánchez to testify, highlighting the importance of his testimony in determining the veracity of the claims.

Happy Santi. When it was made public that Sánchez had been summoned, Vox leader Santiago Abascal congratulated himself by tweeting “Vox says, Vox does”.
Sánchez is scheduled to testify on the morning of July 30. However, because he’s PM, rather than him going to court, it will be Peinado who will go to the Moncloa Presidential Palace to take his statement (small detail: the law exempts witnesses from testifying against their spouse, a right that Sánchez could invoke).
Rajoy precedent. This would mark the first time since 2017 that a sitting Prime Minister has been called to testify in a judicial proceeding, the last time being Mariano Rajoy, who testified in a graft case against party members.

But Sánchez isn’t amused by all of this and has sent a letter to the judge, saying that he will provide him with a written statement (none of that meeting-in-person nonsense).

The PM says in the letter that he’s “committed to collaborating” with the judicial process and in line with the Constitution but reminds the judge that his testimony should be submitted in writing as allowed by Article 412.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which permits written statements from high-ranking government officials due to the nature of their duties.

If this reminds you of the babbling going on around cases involving a certain orange-haired U.S. presidential candidate, well, at least the vocabulary is similar. PSOE and allied left-leaning parties are outraged, calling this a “witch hunt”, while the PP is calling for Sánchez’s resignation.

For now, the case is thin. So far, the investigation hasn’t produced any “there” there. The president of the Complutense University, Joaquín Goyache, initially testified as a witness earlier this month and said there had been no irregularities reported between Begoña Gómez and the university. Then Judge Peinado indicted him too.

We thought we were going to have a quiet summer… but considering how leaky the Spanish justice system is, we have a feeling this is just going to keep going on and getting worse.

More news below. 👇👇

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💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties this week

1. 🚺 Government Women’s Institute director taken down by contracting scandal

Uh-oh! It’s a bad week for the progressives, especially when it comes to corruption accusations.

The government decided to ~~fire~~ “remove” the controversy-mired director of the Women’s Institute, Isabel García, following a scandal involving the allocations of contracts for the “purple point” initiatives. She was in office for a little over six months.

Wait… What are purple points? Glad you asked. They are safe spaces that are set up at specific events for victims of gender-based violence. (Victims who approach the purple point stands can get assistance and counseling from experts.)
Good thing, but… The problem is that it was recently discovered that García and her partner had (very strong) connections to two companies that had received multiple public contracts from PSOE-led towns to manage these purple point stands. This, of course, is not great for optics. Or ethics.

The public outcry was immediate, raising questions about conflicts of interest and transparency of the contracting process.

Nope, not me. García denied any wrongdoing and insisted that her participation in her wife’s companies was perfectly legal, adding that her “conscience was clear, knowing she had done the right thing”.
I told them! Sorta. She said that after being appointed she contacted the Office of Conflict of Interest and followed their instructions to regularize her involvement in the companies she shared with her partner. The Office then informed her she could retain up to 10% ownership, so she kept 8%. But, as El Diario explains, she left out a few (important) details.
Got some ‘splaining to do. El Español revealed last week that one of her companies had won two contracts with the San Fernando de Henares town hall this year after she had been appointed: “Three similar offers from companies linked to her were presented in both cases. Additionally, the transfer of shares to her partner did not occur until March, according to the Commercial Registry.” So, she was in trouble.

Everyone from the leftist coalition Sumar to the center-right PP began calling for her to step down. And when cats and dogs agree… So, earlier this week, she was removed.

Indeed, it wasn’t just the right who wanted her gone. Leftist and progressive leaders also disliked her for quite some time now, ever since she expressed her opposition to last year’s Trans Law and for also making transphobic comments (which she later apologized for).

Sociologist Cristina Hernández has taken over and now has the job of restoring confidence in the institute.

2. 🚫 Mayor Almeida says no partying at the Bernabéu after 11 p.m.

People living in the vicinity of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (aka Real Madrid’s stadium) have for too long had to endure the strident ~~rock and roll~~ reggaeton music that the youth listens to these days (well, other music too). From Taylor Swift to Karol G, every single massive concert has been met with anger by people who want to be able to watch their favorite Turkish soap opera in the evening without having to listen to Tay Tay’s “Cruel Summer” in the background.

Now, at long last, the suffering seems to be over (or at least limited). The city of Madrid has reached a deal with Real Madrid and announced this week a new regulation aimed at reducing “disturbances” caused by concerts at the Bernabeu.

Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced that from now on there will be an 11 p.m. curfew for concerts, and rehearsal times will also be limited to minimize disruption.
The city will also enhance cleaning services around the stadium. This includes increasing the number of trash containers and deploying additional cleaning crews before and after events. Real Madrid has also committed to maintaining the cleanliness and protection of nearby green spaces.
Bad civics. Turns out recent events, such as the concerts by Colombian megastar Karol G, have become the subject of controversy, with videos showing concertgoers littering and engaging in anti-social behavior (yes, including a man getting killed in a fight), which has prompted a quick response from the authorities. In response, the city will boost the presence of municipal police.

No parking. On top of the many issues that residents were facing, there was also trouble finding a parking space (no surprise there), so in order to change this the city will prioritize parking for residents by converting blue zones to green zones on Calle Rafael Salgado and increasing parking spaces in the Castellana area.

The booze. And then there’s the alcohol issue (i.e. people getting drunk in the area), for which a permanent campaign will be launched to control the sale and consumption of alcohol in public areas around the stadium. So those of you looking to get drunk there, think again.

Martínez-Almeida said adhering to local noise regulations and following all of these other rules would lead to more harmonious coexistence between the stadium’s concerts and the local residents.

However, people in the area are not convinced. The Association of People Affected by the Bernabeu (that’s a real organization, by the way) has said that they disagreed and called the announcement “a joke in really poor taste”. They believe all concerts at the stadium should be suspended because they are responsible for a “health emergency.”

The lesson of the story is… don’t move near the Bernabeu Stadium.

3. 👬🏻 Pedro Sánchez (again) wonders, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

If Pedro Sánchez and his PSOE ever thought that Catalan separatist party Junts held any real affection for them, this week disabused them of that notion. Junts—led by self-exiled party boss/nationalist savior Carles Puigdemont—had given Sánchez the seven votes he needed to return as PM in exchange for passing the broadly unpopular amnesty law for Catalan separatists. And, well, it’s been pretty much a pain in Sánchez’s butt ever since.

So what have they done now? This week, Junts voted alongside the PP and Vox to sink Sánchez’s foreigners law (which would have forced Spain’s autonomous communities to accept unaccompanied immigrant minors—aka MENAs—as distributed by the central government) and another bill containing the budget stability goals for 2025 to 2027 and the spending limit of the 2025 budget (a first step to passing a budget).

If they’re allies, why’d they do that? On a surface level, Catalan nationalists like Junts don’t want to let the central government tell them what to do (like take MENAs) and Junts has a constant gripe that the central government doesn’t send enough money to Catalonia (so why help approve a budget Madrid won’t live up to?).

But there’s more. Puigdemont wants to remind Sánchez that Junts holds the key to the PSOE coalition passing really anything, and that Junts is necessary for Sánchez to stay in power. So, Pedro, make sure the amnesty goes through (it’s still in the courts) and, hey, it would also be nice if the socialist trying to be voted President of the Catalan government (Salvador Illa) would step aside to let Puigdemont return as President atop a unicorn in a blaze of glittery glory. In simple words: They want things.
Very simply. “This government does not understand that it does not have a majority in Congress, and therefore it needs other groups' support to push initiatives through," Junts MP Josep María Cruset said. Clear enough?.

What’s next, then? The PSOE and Sumar can turn the foreigners bill into a decree and hope it can get somebody—PP?—onside before they need to vote to convert the decree into law (aka a legislative hail mary). And they’ll have to negotiate the public deficit law (i.e. pay Junts something) because they desperately need it to pass a budget. Without one for next year (they failed to pass one this year), Sánchez’s government is basically sunk.

Saying the quiet part out loud. Spain’s Culture minister, Ernest Urtasun of PSOE coalition partner Sumar, got caught on a hot mic saying of Junts’ vote against the budget bill, “It’s a punch in the face to the government.” 👊

4. 🤑 Europe tells Spain to make it (even) more expensive to fire someone

The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has ruled that Spain is failing to live up to the European Social Charter—a treaty that guarantees fundamental social and economic rights—when it comes to how much severance pay companies pay workers. And that could make layoffs that are not “for cause”—not for gross negligence—a lot more expensive (or more profitable, if you’re the worker).

It all started in 2012. That’s when the government of Mariano Rajoy of the PP passed a bill cutting severance pay from 45 to 33 days for every year worked and dropped the cap from 42 to 24 months pay. (Which still seems like gobs of severance pay, but what do we know? 🤷)
Something happened in 2021. That’s when Spain’s government—then led by current PM Sánchez—ratified the European Social Charter. Which meant it vowed to respect the rights in it—which include the rule that severance pay must be dissuasive (i.e. make the company think twice about layoffs) and offer full compensation for the damage suffered by the dismissed worker.
Enter lawsuit. On that ground, Spain’s big UGT union filed a complaint in 2022 saying that Spain’s law was out of step with the European Social Charter.

And guess what? You got it—the ECSR has ruled in UGT’s favor. (Once again: we as a company would be dissuaded by 33 days per year but…). And WOW is the UGT licking its lips.

The UGT wants a return to the 45 days/year formula, and to have the cap removed or at least raised a lot. They also want a minimum severance of 6 months 🙀.
For now, the UGT says its lawyers will go ‘case by case’ and ‘dismissal by dismissal’ to ensure that the resolution is complied with.

But are we getting ahead of ourselves? We may be. While UGT boss Pepe Álvarez thinks the decision is binding, the CEOE business union, led by Antonio Garamendi, thinks the committee’s decisions are “consultative” and don’t “oblige” Spain to follow them.

There’s more. Even the government is not in agreement with itself. Deputy PM Yolanda Díaz of Sumar has said she wants to reform the severance law, while Sumar’s senior coalition partner—the PSOE—is quite happy with the law as it is, thank you very much.

The ECSR is expected to publish the ruling on Monday (the UGT announced it ahead of time). And today, the average severance pay is around €9,000. Expect tons of lawsuits to come! 💸

5. 🪦 DEP Antonia La Chunga!

antonialachunga

A post shared by @antonialachunga

Antonia La Chunga (Antonia The Sketchy) died last weekend at 88. You should get to know her if you haven’t yet—god knows a lot of people in Spain (and beyond) did. She was perhaps the world’s top Alzheimer’s TikToker. And a fabulous person to boot.

Antonia’s odd journey to fame began in 2021, when her daughter and caregiver Toñi began posting short videos of their interactions to the socials, showing the day-to-day joy, sadness, and hilarity of living with a parent with Alzheimer's.
Antonia the Alzheimer’s Influencer took off! Her TikTok and Instagram accounts now have 649,000 and 92,300 followers, respectively, as people began to tune in regularly to watch her refuse to bathe and beauty up for her imaginary friend from Cartagena (“I’m going to make myself beautiful for me!”—see video above) or call for help while letting her pets in.

A little biography, please. Antonia Amador has a hardscrabble life. Born in Cartagena (in Murcia), she moved to Valencia after her first husband died. There she married again and had six children (one of her children died of cancer—and Toñi also has cancer).

Toñi wrote in the post announcing Antonia’s death, “Farewell, my lotus flower [loto, her name for Antonia], you have left us all devastated. Thank you for these four years that we have enjoyed so much with each of y’all."

Her death left a hole in the lives of her followers. “How much we have all loved her from this side of the screen”, “I just had an immense pain in my chest, my 13-year-old son and I followed you and we were dying of laughter and tenderness with her” or “She was a little bit everyone's grandmother,” were some of the 12,000+ comments.

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