The Parliament of Galicia is preparing to host a high-voltage commission that aims to shake the walls of the main office on Génova Street in Madrid. The political investigation into the multimillion-dollar contracts awarded by the Xunta to relatives of Alberto Núñez Feijóo during the pandemic has moved forward despite resistance from the PP led by Alfonso Rueda, who has managed to limit the scope of the investigation. The management of Feijóo will be investigated without his explanations, as the Galician conservatives have imposed their absolute majority to approve a work plan that bans the former president of the Xunta from testifying. The BNG considers this obstruction a confession of guilt and fear on the part of the Rueda bloc.
The work plan of the commission, approved only with the votes of the PP, also does not allow the relatives of Feijóo who are executives in the benefiting companies to provide explanations. This includes Micaela Núñez Feijóo, sister of the former Galician president and Galician delegate of Grupo Eulen, which received contracts worth 55 million euros between 2018 and 2023 according to calculations by the Bloque; and Ignacio Cárdenas Botas, brother of Feijóo’s partner and commercial director of Universal Support, a company that received nearly 20 million euros in handpicked contracts between May 2020 and October 2021. While Isabel Díaz Ayuso has called for Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to testify in a commission of inquiry in the Madrid Assembly, the Galician conservatives have avoided having Alberto González Amador, boyfriend of the Madrid president, face questioning.
The PP has avoided calling Feijóo to testify regarding the pandemic contracts, but they will bring in former Health Minister and current President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa. Rueda and various officials from the left-wing Galician government will also participate, as another object of investigation is the public-private collaboration contract signed by Feijóo for the construction of the Álvaro Cunqueiro hospital in Vigo. The PP has attempted to block the establishment of this commission of inquiry, but the BNG has pushed it forward using a parliamentary rule that allows them to do so unilaterally, thanks to their one-third share of parliamentary seats.
Before the vote, Rueda expressed concerns that the investigation could turn into a “defamation commission,” while his parliamentary spokesperson defended the decision to veto Feijóo’s testimony to prevent it from becoming a “circus.” The PP argues that Feijóo has already testified many times about these contracts when he held office. Despite their efforts, the leader of the PSdeG called the outcome of the vote a “mockery of transparency,” stating that the refusal to allow testimonies suggests a desire to hide something. The BNG and PSOE have been critical of the PP’s attempts to hinder the investigation, with the BNG accusing Feijóo of 15 years of underhanded dealings that they believe will still come to light.
