Alberto Núñez Feijóo used the majority of his interventions in the omnibus debate on Wednesday in Congress to launch accusations and suspicions of corruption against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, his team, and his wife, Begoña Gómez. Feijóo focused on the judicial investigation into the president’s wife, despite a recent report from the Guardia Civil finding no evidence of wrongdoing in her behavior. The PP believes that Sánchez did not answer Feijóo’s questions on the matter and is now preparing to call Begoña Gómez and the president himself to testify in the Senate’s investigation committee on the Koldo case. The President stated that he and his wife will be happy to attend, but warned Feijóo, saying, “It will be your responsibility.”
The debate in Congress lasted six and a half hours and focused on four different appearances by the President: three on relevant international policy issues and one requested by the PP to address allegations of corruption, political conflict of interest, and economic corruption affecting his party and government. The attacks by the PP are based on letters signed by Begoña Gómez in favor of a company that later received contracts from the Administration, as well as contacts with another company that benefited from rescue mechanisms during the pandemic. Pedro Sánchez portrayed the situation and his intentions to cooperate in resolving crises such as the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Gibraltar conflict, and reiterated his stance on the “mud-slinging and rumors” poisoning Spain’s political climate.
The President highlighted that for ten years, since he took over the leadership of the PSOE, he has been subject to attacks and even espionage, particularly regarding allegations against his wife. He emphasized that neither the Guardia Civil unit tasked with a report nor the Prosecution Office nor the Office of Conflict of Interests found any irregularities. He expressed his disappointment in the PP and Vox, likening them to the lack of substance and attacks on his family. Sánchez predicted that the case would be archived as there is nothing to hide. However, the judge has summoned four employees and officials of Red.es, a public entity that granted aid to a group of companies linked to entrepreneur Juan Carlos Barrabés.
Sánchez anticipates that the PP will now call him and his wife to testify in the Senate’s investigation committee controlled by the conservatives. He praised Begoña Gómez as a “first-rate, honest, serious, and responsible professional” and compared his clean government to past PP governments plagued by scandals. Feijóo focused on accusing Sánchez of avoiding explanations about his wife’s judicial issues and demanded that the President respond to the questions posed by the PP regarding Begoña Gómez’s professional activities. The opposition leader noted that such actions are unethical and aesthetically wrong. The debate also touched on the law of amnesty and the crisis with Argentina.
In the responses from other parties, representatives of the government’s coalition partners expressed more concern over the lack of concrete measures for democratic regeneration, particularly related to the delayed renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary blocked by the PP and identifying true ownership of what Sánchez refers to as “pseudo-digital media.” Sánchez postponed these announcements until after the European elections on June 9. Overall, the debate highlighted the ongoing political tensions and focus on corruption allegations, overshadowing discussions on international policy and democratic reforms.
