The Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, has defended the appropriateness of maintaining the unwritten practice by which judicial bodies avoid driving forward cases that affect the Government and political parties during election periods, in a context marked by recent actions that involve the PSOE.
At the press conference held after the extraordinary Council of Ministers convened this Friday at La Moncloa, the head of the Presidency stressed that, in his opinion, this informal guideline should continue to be observed. "To me, that unwritten rule seems very prudent, very reasonable," he said when asked about the judicial operations known in recent days.
Bolaños also reiterated that, in his view, this criterion of restraint on the part of the Justice "has always been complied with and is respectful of the processes that are underway such as these general elections" of 29 November, insisting that its application helps prevent the campaign from being conditioned.
The minister was specifically questioned about the latest judicial steps, including the operation carried out this Thursday by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Guardia Civil at the Court of Auditors, aimed at clarifying alleged irregularities linked to donations to the PSOE. Regarding this particular action, he refused to provide details, recalling that the procedure is under "sumarial secrecy."
That same Thursday, the European Public Prosecutor's Office made public that it maintains ongoing investigations in the Ministry of Equality and at the Court of Auditors into alleged fraud involving European funds related to the purchase of anti-mistreatment bracelets, which has added political pressure in the midst of the electoral contest.
Sources from Moncloa, in comments made off camera, express a more direct criticism and lament that these operations are being carried out once the general election campaign has officially begun, which they consider a deviation from the usual practice.
As these sources recall, what is normal is that this period is respected and that the courts and prosecutor's offices opt to postpone progress in actions that affect political formations in order to prevent them from influencing the outcome of the election.