Latest news with #Cerdán


Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Scandal-hit Spanish government unveils measures to tackle corruption
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government has announced fresh plans to tackle corruption as the leader attempts to contain the political fallout from graft accusations against members of his Socialist Party. The administration appears increasingly imperilled by a slew of allegations, with Sánchez facing pressure from his opponents to call a snap election. In June, a Supreme Court judge ordered a former senior official, Santos Cerdán, to be held in pre-trial detention as part of a corruption inquiry. As well as investigating allegations against Cerdán, who resigned earlier that month, the former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his aide Koldo Garcia, are also being probed after being accused of involvement in a plot to get kickbacks for awarding public works contracts. All three deny the allegations. The case involving Cerdán, who had served as the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party's (PSOE) organisational secretary, is arguably the most serious in a series of scandals that have forced Sánchez to issue public apologies and deflect rivals' calls for his resignation. In a speech on Wednesday, which he prefaced with an apology to parliamentarians and the public for the scandal, Sánchez said he would remain in his post, saying that while he had considered calling an election, he had decided against it. "I won't throw in the towel. We're going to continue," he said. The government on Wednesday announced 15 measures designed in conjunction with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's anti-corruption team and other partners that aim to root out graft. The plan is split into five areas: risk prevention and bolstering measures against corruption; protecting whistleblowers; boosting the state's capacity to investigate and punish allegations; recovery of assets stolen through corruption; and creating a culture of integrity. The specific measures include the creation of a new, independent watchdog on integrity, introducing artificial intelligence to the the public sector contracting platform to flag signs of fraud, the strengthening of independent audit requirements for political parties and enhancing transparency over political donations. Whistleblowers are to receive guarantees of confidentiality and legal protection, while companies and public administrations will have to set up internal reporting channels. Companies that have been convicted of corruption will be blacklisted from future government contracts, while sanctions against political parties will also be toughened. The plan will also step up criminal penalties for graft, double the statutes of limitations for such cases and hike fines for firms convicted of corruption. Sánchez has maintained that there will be no election until the scheduled vote in 2027.

Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Spain's PM refuses to step down and announces anti-graft plan despite corruption inquiries
MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he would not step down from office despite mounting corruption cases involving his Socialist Party, and instead, presented anti-corruption measures that immediately received a lukewarm response even from some left-wing allies. Speaking in parliament Wednesday at an extraordinary session about a corruption case involving a former Socialist official, the Spanish leader took responsibility for his poor judgement but repeatedly said he would not step down, calling himself 'an honest politician' with 'the pride of leading an exemplary party.' 'I will not throw in the towel,' Sánchez repeated. The left-wing Spanish leader spoke about a week after a Supreme Court judge ordered the pretrial detention of Santos Cerdán, a former aide to the prime minister and previously the third-most senior member of the Socialist Party, over allegations that he received kickbacks for public works contracts. A former Sánchez minister is also ensnared in the corruption investigation involving Cerdán, who has denied the allegations. Facing separate corruption or misconduct probes are the prime minister's former attorney general, brother and wife, all of whom have denied wrongdoing. Sánchez himself has not been accused in any of the cases. Over the weekend, an official that Sánchez had just promoted as part of his Socialist Party's shake-up resigned over sexual misconduct allegations. On Wednesday, Sánchez presented 15 anti-corruption measures, which included bringing more transparency to political and public financing and working with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to crack down on graft. The move immediately drew ridicule from opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative People's Party, who urged Sánchez to take responsibility for his party's actions, report what he knew and call early elections. 'It's not that it's the only decent way out,' Feijóo said, 'but you have no alternative.' The Spanish leader has been in power since 2018 and leads a minority coalition government with leftwing allies. His government has been unable to pass legislation and in recent weeks, its future has looked increasingly uncertain amid the corruption probes. Leaders from far-left and nationalist parties allied with Sánchez's Socialists have so far not supported the opposition's calls for early elections. On Wednesday, some leaders left the door open, however, to letting voters decide on the government's future if the corruption inquiries escalated.


Miami Herald
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez under attack from all sides after graft shock
MADRID - As allegations of corruption against a former aide began to circle three weeks ago, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez couldn't bring himself to believe them, according to people close to him. Santos Cerdán was a powerful figure in Sánchez's Socialist Party. As organizational secretary, he was in charge of the day-to-day running of the party - a role he took on after his predecessor, José Luis Ábalos, another former Sánchez aide, was charged with organized crime, bribery and influence peddling last year. When Cerdán was implicated in the same case in a police report released on June 12, Sánchez was in a state of shock, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters. On Monday, Cerdán was arrested. The shock has reverberated throughout the Socialist Party and the fragile coalition government that Sánchez heads. Senior Socialist Party officials told Bloomberg News that there is a sense of betrayal and anger within the party's ranks. With Sánchez facing the biggest challenge to his position since becoming prime minister in 2018, the leadership needs to take decisive action to restore trust with members and the electorate, the officials said. "We are disappointed, it's a widespread feeling in the party," Cristina Narbona, president of the Socialist Party and a former minister, told Bloomberg News. "Not only our secretary-general trusted them," she said, referring to Sánchez. "We all did." Cerdán, who has resigned from his roles in the Socialist Party and in parliament, denied the charges in a statement, saying that he has "never committed any illegal act nor have I been an accomplice of any." Sánchez has denied any knowledge of the alleged crimes, and said that he acted swiftly to expel his senior advisers as soon as he was made aware of police reports. A spokesperson for the prime minister told Bloomberg News that Sánchez "found it hard to stop believing in Cerdan's innocence. He believed him up until the last minute. He had to personally read the police report to realize the disappointment and terrible reality." The corruption investigation began in 2022 when the opposition People's Party filed a series of reports with prosecutors over the issuance of public contracts during the Covid pandemic. Most were dismissed, but one, alleging that staff at the transport ministry had taken payments from private companies in exchange for public contracts for masks, caught the attention of the anti-corruption prosecutor's office. The investigation initially focused on a senior advisor at the department, Koldo Garcia, who was arrested in February 2024, but has since expanded. In November, the supreme court opened a case against Ábalos, who was transport minister from 2018 until 2021. The allegations are particularly damaging for Sánchez, who came to power in 2018 on a platform of integrity in public life. He became prime minister after a no-confidence motion in parliament - sparked by another corruption case - ousted the conservative People's Party leader Mariano Rajoy. It was Ábalos who proposed the no-confidence motion on behalf of the Socialist Party. Alongside the police reports, audio recordings have circulated in the Spanish media that appear to show Garcia and Ábalos using sexist language and referring to sex workers as merchandise. Sánchez's party calls itself feminist, and has been vocal about equal rights and pay, access to abortion, and the need to tackle violence against women. The apparent hypocrisy has angered some in the Socialist Party. "There is a growing uncertainty among thousands and thousands of socialists who want to know where this will end up," Emiliano Garcia Page, a Socialist Party politician, president of the region of Castile-La Mancha - and a regular critic of Sánchez, said. "The problem is what to stand for. We've defended all those we now call shameless." Opposition parties have demanded new elections, but they do not have enough votes for a motion of no-confidence. The coalition government that Sánchez leads is fractious, and has struggled to pass any legislation. No budget has been approved since late 2022. The corruption allegations have increased tensions. "We're angry," Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, from Sumar, a junior coalition member, said in a press conference on Tuesday. "We've asked them to rise to the occasion but it doesn't seem that the Socialist Party has become aware of the seriousness and urgency of the moment," Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, from Sumar, told reporters after meeting with Socialist cabinet members on Wednesday. Rebecca Torró, a junior minister has been named as Cerdán's replacement. Sánchez is due to address a meeting of the party's federal committee, a key decision-making body, on Saturday, where he is expected to announce further changes to Socialist Party's executive leadership, as well as new internal anti-corruption controls. Sánchez has said he intends to lead the Socialist Party into general elections, due to be held in 2027. Despite the sense of crisis in the party, it is unlikely that there will be a meaningful challenge to the prime minister's leadership, according to party figures, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters. The reluctance is partly because bringing down the government would open the door to a government led by the People's Party, in coalition with the far-right Vox. Both Vox and the PP have promised to take a tougher stance on migration, to reform or repeal laws targeting violence against women, and to take a hard line on regional separatist movements, which have supported Sánchez. At the last election, the two parties combined came four short seats of a majority. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.


Local Spain
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
Official for Spain's ruling Socialists sent to prison for corruption
Former transport minister José Luis Ábalos has also been implicated in the investigation into kickbacks for public contracts, which has created the biggest political crisis Sanchez has faced since taking office in 2018. The sources said a Supreme Court judge ordered the detention of Cerdán, who has only recently quit as the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party organisation secretary -- the ruling party's number three post -- as there was a "risk" he might try to flee or destroy evidence. He is being held without bail on allegations of corruption, money laundering and criminal association, the sources said. Cerdán denied the accusation in an audience with the lead investigating judge on Monday, saying he was the victim of a political plot, they said. Sánchez has sought to distance himself and the Socialist party from the scandal, which involves suspicions of dirty dealings in the purchase of health equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. "The Socialist party reacted firmly from the start," the prime minister said. "Santos Cerdán was dismissed" from the party when the revelations emerged, he added when questioned about the case at an international conference in Seville. A police report has said there was evidence including audio recordings suggesting Cerdán received payments in exchange for irregularly awarded public contracts. Ábalos, the prime minister's former right-hand man, and a top adviser, Koldo García, are also among the suspects targeted in the investigation. Sánchez has repeatedly apologized over the case and denied knowledge of the alleged scheme. But the opposition has called for the prime minister to resign.


Local Spain
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
Spanish police enter ruling Socialist HQ in corruption probe
A police report released last week implicated Socialist heavyweight Santos Cerdán and ex-transport minister Jose Luis Ábalos in receiving kickbacks in the improper awarding of public contracts. In a ruling issued on Friday, a Supreme Court judge ordered the Civil Guard to clone the contents of Cerdán's work email account at the Socialist headquarters. The judge also requested information on Cerdán's bank accounts and wealth, summoning him to testify on June 30th, and instructed officers to clone Ábalos's email account at the transport ministry. The images of police entering Socialist headquarters are damaging for an administration that came to power in 2018 promising to clean up Spanish politics after the rival conservative Popular Party (PP) was convicted in its own graft affair. Cerdán has relinquished his powerful post as Socialist organisation secretary and as an MP. The party has definitively expelled Ábalos. The scandal has shaken the minority coalition with far-left formation Sumar and relations with an array of leftist and regional separatist parties the government depends on to pass legislation. Legal investigations are also underway against Sánchez's wife, brother and Socialist-appointed top prosecutor. But the Socialist premier, one of Europe's longest-serving leftist leaders, has rebuffed demands from the PP and far-right party Vox to resign and call early elections.