The spokesperson for the Popular Party in the Senate, Alicia García, took 15 minutes to bring up the issue of the president’s wife during the Government control session held on Tuesday. She called on Mr. Sánchez to explain to all Spaniards, or else the “fundraising specialist”, referring to Begoña Gómez, would have to come. This came after several references to the Koldo case and other hypothetical corruption schemes that allegedly “corner” Pedro Sánchez in a debate that had barely lasted 15 minutes. The day after the Popular Party decided not to request the appearance of the president’s wife in the investigation commission promoted by them in the Upper House, they did request a huge amount of information on Begoña Gómez’s alleged mediation between the Government and several companies. Vice President María Jesús Montero defended herself by citing various information about other incidents supposedly involving the PP.
Montero mentioned the trial of former minister Eduardo Zaplana, the hiring of the former Deputy Minister of Health of the Andalusian Government by the insurance company Asisa, and the indictment of the partner of the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The mention of Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s sister in relation to contracts with the Xunta de Galicia for the Eulen group caught the attention of the Popular Party, who responded with gestures of disbelief. The amounts awarded to Eulen since Feijóo came to power in May 2009 averaged 2.86 million euros annually, as reported by El País. The debate between García and Montero led to a heated exchange, with several calls to order by the Senate President and murmurs from both sides. However, the tone of the interventions shifted to more routine matters after the intense debate on corruption allegations.
The wave of “corruption” resurfaced during the intervention of Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who faced the highest number of questions on that day. He was accused by a senator from the Popular Party of being the spokesperson for “corruption”. Begoña Gómez was once again mentioned in relation to alleged corruption schemes. The rest of the ministers present watched eagerly as Puente responded to the accusations. Puente accused the senator of spreading false information or “fake news”, a term that was repeatedly heard in the chamber during the accusations of corruption between the two parties. The session highlighted the ongoing tensions between the PP and PSOE.
The Catalan campaign was also a topic of discussion during the session, with an ERC senator echoing the arguments presented by the President of Catalonia in favor of a referendum. The Minister of Presidency, Relations with the Courts, and Justice criticized Aragonès for participating in what he called a “farce” by attending a meeting with the Popular Party. He emphasized that the Catalans would democratically decide their future on May 12th. At the end of the control session, Vice President Montero criticized the PP for not ruling out taking the President to court for his wife’s alleged involvement in the Air Europa rescue and the Koldo case. She dismissed these claims as false and defamatory.
In summary, the session of control in the Senate saw heated debates between the PP and PSOE, with accusations of corruption and political maneuvering. The mention of Begoña Gómez and the allegations surrounding her involvement in fundraising and mediation between the government and private companies added fuel to the fire. The ongoing tensions between the parties were evident throughout the session, with accusations of false information and corrupt practices being exchanged. The upcoming session of control in the Lower House between Sánchez and Feijóo will likely continue the trend of confrontational debates and political posturing.
