Even corruption probes can’t ground Sánchez’s holiday plans

MADRID – Under fire at home and in the air, the Spanish prime minister is learning that even a corruption scandal can’t cancel summer in the Canary Islands.

A bombshell police report released in early June has detonated what many now call the gravest crisis of Sánchez’s time in office – a sprawling “mafia-like” corruption scheme allegedly rooted deep within the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE).

Before boarding his return flight from Paraguay, where he had wrapped up a three-day tour of Latin America, Sánchez calmly told journalists that he “felt strong,” despite the political crisis that had forced some of his key allies to step down.

But the scandal is likely to follow him to his annual summer retreat. At a tense Tuesday Council of Ministers meeting, Sánchez’s government pushed through the first stage of a new state secrets law – legislation that would hand the executive power to decide what constitutes an official secret.

The move raised eyebrows across Madrid, with critics condemning the new bill as a move to shield the prime minister and his inner circle from judicial and public accountability. Further reports on the corruption probe are expected before the end of summer.

Even within Sánchez’s ranks, unease is growing, as Defence Minister Margarita Robles reportedly refused to uphold the law. The handling of state secrets, until now overseen by the national intelligence centre under her ministry, will now fall under the ministry of the presidency, justice, and relations with the courts.

The defence ministry did not respond to Euractiv’s request for comments.

The Dominican connection 

The new law could also hinder ongoing investigations tied to the prime minister, particularly the hundreds of undisclosed, taxpayer-funded flights that have drawn increasing scrutiny as part of the broader PSOE corruption scandal.

Sanchez has taken 582 flights in five years, according to an investigation published by El Mundo, more than any of his predecessors.

But one destination stood out. Among hundreds of flights, 63 official flights were to the Dominican Republic, as first reported by Spanish outlet The Objective.

The country appears central to the probe into the alleged network of kickbacks, rigged tenders, and influence peddling surrounding ex-Transport Minister, José Luis Ábalos. Testimony from businessman Víctor de Aldama – said to be a middleman linking private firms to government contracts – placed the Dominican Republic at the heart of the operation.

Prosecutors claimed bribes paid to Aldama’s Dominican business network were laundered and repatriated to Spain as cash, then distributed among officials tied to the plot.

In April, witnesses testifying before the Spanish Supreme Court, admitted making cash payments in the Dominican Republic to  =former advisor to ex-Transport Minister Ábalos -and key facilitator in the plot- Koldo García’s, whose brother allegedly collected the cash following Aldama’s orders. 

Public accountability 

Last year, Defence Minister Margarita Robles reported to the Senate, at the request of the main opposition Popular Party, that the Caribbean island’s strategic position made it a crucial destination for layovers and technical stops. The, she said, was the reason behind the 62 trips – not 63, she noted.

But to this day, the government has repeatedly refused to confirm the identity of the p***engers of those flights, fuelling suspicions that the list could potentially include prosecuted officials in the kickback scheme. 

That wall of silence is starting to crack. A binding resolution published last Sunday by Spain’s Transparency Council – following a request from media outlet El Debate – will force Sánchez to release full details of 122 flights taken in 2023 and 2024: including p***enger names, destinations, dates and reasons for travel.

Access to that information is of “great importance” as it “clearly and directly contributes to the control of public activity, the management of resources and the accountability to which the administration is bound,” the report states.

However, with the new official secrets law set to be approved by the Spanish parliament after the summer recess, critics claim the executive will be able to shield itself from further revelations, reports, and leaks crippling Sánchez’s tarnished government. 

For now, the prime minister may be soaking up the sun in Lanzarote, but back in Madrid, the heat is only rising.

(mm)