The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, expressed this Thursday his displeasure at the rejection he suffered in Congress of the "Lobby Law," a decision that will mean that Spain will stop receiving 260 million euros from European recovery funds, since the approval of this regulation was among the commitments made to the European Commission.
In an interview on the SER chain, reported by Europa Press, López detailed that the milestone associated with the regulation of interest groups was initially linked to an amount exceeding 2 billion euros.
After the renegotiation with Brussels of the objectives and the execution schedule of the allocations and, after the definitive rejection of the norm in the Lower House, the reduction of community resources is finally specified in 260 million euros in European transfers.
"The conclusion is very simple: the right and the far-right do not want there to be transparency, and now there are no excuses," said the head of Public Function, insisting that it is no longer possible to open new conversations with the European Union because the execution and notification period has concluded.
The minister defended the processing of the law, which was discussed "for more than a year in Parliament." He emphasized that the conversations were prolonged "to exhaustion" with all the parties and that the final text incorporated "90% of the amendments," addressing the main demands of the opposition.
As an example, López recalled that several groups demanded that the mandatory registration of "lobbies" not depend on the Office of Conflict of Interests, but on the Transparency Council, a modification that the Government accepted and integrated into the proposal.
"What the groups have asked for has been addressed, but when the time of truth has come and it was time to vote, they do not want transparency," he reproached.
He also described the vote against or the abstention of different political forces as "paradoxical" and "difficult to understand," emphasizing that the law set obligations and limits only for the General Administration of the State, without extending to the autonomous communities.
Óscar López accused the opposition of lack of commitment and irresponsibility for letting the initiative fall and causing the loss of those European funds.
In his opinion, behind the refusal of the Popular Party lies the "example of Montoro." "Perhaps they have in mind how a former minister enters a tax office, then into the Government, leaves the Government, and returns to the Executive," pointed out López, who criticized the "profound contradiction" of the opposition in blocking an advanced norm that would have forced all former politicians and former high officials to submit to clear rules of traceability and transparency in their activities.
The votes of PP, Vox, Junts, and UPN overturned the "Lobby Law"
The Plenary of Congress repealed this Wednesday, with the support of PP, Vox, Junts, and UPN, the government decree law that regulated the activity of "lobbies," a text that had sparked criticism from the minority partner of the Executive and other parliamentary allies, especially for including unions and business organizations as interest groups.
The norm received the backing of PSOE, Sumar, ERC, and Bildu, but was rejected by the 179 votes against from PP, Vox, Junts, and UPN, in addition to the abstention of PNV and Podemos. Sumar had planned to vote against, although it ultimately rectified at the last minute and supported PSOE, despite its deputy spokesperson, Aina Vidal, having already cast a telematic "No" vote.
This was the second attempt by the Executive to regulate interest groups. In January 2025, it had already submitted to Congress a bill whose processing was blocked due to the lack of consensus. The decree law had been in force since the end of August, but as it did not obtain the endorsement of Congress, it has been automatically repealed.