Both the PSOE and the PP are unwilling to reveal their plans or the witnesses they intend to call in the respective congressional and senate investigations regarding contracts and commissions during the pandemic, in order to not give any hints to their political adversaries. However, their intentions are clear: to undermine the leaders of the opposing party. The first commission officially started in the Senate on Monday, led by the PP and focusing on controversial cases that could affect the central government and the PSOE. The PP aims to call prominent figures such as President Pedro Sánchez, his wife Begoña Gómez, and the President of the Congress, Francina Armengol. In response, the PSOE is forming a commission in the Congress focusing on the president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
Both major parties are placing significant stakes on these commissions, especially as the upcoming electoral confrontations draw near. The PP and PSOE are carefully considering their lists of witnesses to call to these commissions, with the goal of using the inquiries to undermine their political opponents while publicly stating that they aim to draw conclusions on the emergency contracts made during the pandemic. The PP intends to call Francina Armengol based on suspicions of her involvement in the Koldo case, as well as possibly President Pedro Sánchez and his wife, Begoña Gómez. The PP argues that Sánchez was likely aware of the corrupt activities and should provide answers.
The internal debate within the PP revolves around whether to call the president’s wife as a witness, with some members hesitant due to concerns about involving politicians’ relatives without any ongoing judicial investigations against them. However, some members argue that if the PSOE demands the resignation of Isabel Díaz Ayuso over her partner’s alleged tax fraud investigation, the president’s wife should not be exempt from scrutiny. The PSOE is gearing up to respond to the PP’s tactics in the Congress commission, aiming to bring forth witnesses who can shed light on the mistakes made during the worst of the pandemic. The goal is to prevent corrupt individuals from exploiting the system again.
The PSOE has appointed Alejandro Soler Mur as the president and Juan Antonio González Gracia as the spokesperson for the congressional commission. They plan to call politicians and officials from Madrid and Galicia, where the most scandalous cases of mask procurement occurred. The PSOE criticized Ayuso for her partner’s business dealings and called on Feijóo to force her resignation, accusing her of privatizing healthcare and enriching her partner through contracts with certain companies. The political climate in Spain is heating up as the PP and PSOE prepare for a series of confrontational elections, utilizing the commissions to target key figures within the opposing party and potentially uncovering any malpractices in emergency contracts during the pandemic. The political landscape remains tense with both parties strategizing for the upcoming electoral battles.