Business concern about the political drift

The company warns of the economic impact of the loss of confidence in institutions. Sánchez limits the PSOE's responsibility for the investigation into Ábalos and Cerdán.

The crisis generated in the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and the government by the Civil Guard report detailing the alleged collection of commissions by the party's last two organizational secretaries, Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos , is worrying business leaders. The two main employers' associations, CEOE (Spanish Workers' Party) and Cepyme (Spanish Workers' Union), issued a statement yesterday expressing their concern about the institutional deterioration, legislative paralysis, the discrediting of politics among citizens, and the damage to the image of our economy abroad caused by episodes as serious as those being investigated by the courts in a case involving two individuals who have been close collaborators of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, since he became general secretary of the PSOE (Spanish Workers' Party) in 2014. Business representatives warn of the impact that the loss of confidence of consumers, investors, and job creators could have on the Spanish economy. The question, therefore, is how much confidence can be inspired by an executive plagued by suspicions of corruption and subjected, more than ever, to the demands of its parliamentary allies in order to remain in power . And whether the president is in a position to guarantee the institutional, political, and economic stability that the productive sector demands.

In this regard, Sánchez's statements yesterday following the PSOE Executive Committee meeting dashed hopes within the party and civil society regarding greater accountability for the allegations made by the Civil Guard. While last Thursday the Socialist leader sought to emphasize his apology to the public for the allegedly irregular behavior of the person who led the party's internal organization until that very day, his new strategy is to attack the opposition, which is demanding the end of his term over this scandal, as well as challenging them to present a vote of no confidence to oust him . This places the crux of the situation on the parties that keep him in power. To secure their support, Sánchez initiated a round of contacts with Yolanda Díaz, which, however, no Podemos representative will attend, as they do not see him as legitimate enough to continue leading the Executive. The lack of a solid parliamentary majority has marked the erratic course of the government over the last two years, during which only initiatives supported by populists, nationalists, and separatists have been successful , with the controversial Amnesty Law serving as the paradigm of placing governability in the hands of these same parties. What Sánchez flatly ruled out was making changes to the composition of the executive, as well as the possibility of submitting to a vote of confidence , limiting any renewal to the PSOE leadership, which was forced upon it following the departure of the organization secretary, which will be debated in a Federal Committee to be held on July 5.

Among the arguments used by the president to justify maintaining without changes what he called "the best government Spain has had in a long time," his allusion to the fact that an alternation in power between the PP and Vox "would put pensions, salaries, women's rights, and public services at risk" is striking . A message with certain reminiscences of other, less than exemplary eras of the PSOE that is disturbing. Sánchez said that it would be irresponsible to jeopardize everything achieved in his seven years of government due to the corruption "of a few," but it could be argued that if anything has jeopardized the social progress he claims, it is the poor oversight of public works contracts and his party's management . The president is right when he argues that the courts will determine the scope of the crimes for which the two secretaries of organization appointed by him are being investigated, but someone who came to power promising to regenerate Spain's institutions and public life should impose more demanding standards of political responsibility on himself to restore his lost credibility.