The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has expressed his concern about the existence of "judges" who, in his opinion, would be "playing politics" with the aim of "bringing down the Government," directly alluding to magistrate Juan Carlos Peinado and to an investigation he considers a "disgrace" in the case opened against Begoña Gómez, wife of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
At the same time, he has made it clear that the conduct of former minister José Luis Ábalos, sentenced to 24 years in prison for the 'Mascarillas' case, is repugnant to him. However, he has stressed that democratic regeneration does not in any way involve "opening the doors" of Moncloa to "a gentleman who has photos with a drug trafficker," in allusion to the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
In parallel, the national spokesperson for the PP, Borja Sémper, has denounced that Sumar has now transformed into a "team player" and "intern" of "Sanchismo," maintaining that the legislature is "dead" and that citizens are "fed up" with the Executive's drift.
During the government control session held this Wednesday in Congress, Urtasun censured that there were people, referring to Ábalos, who "in the midst of the pandemic" were "dipping their hands in the till." In contrast, he defended that while some "were stealing," his political space was dedicated to protecting the population through instruments such as ERTEs.
Criticism of corruption and Peinado's actions
The Minister of Culture has also stated that he is profoundly concerned by "corrupt individuals and those who corrupt" and that, for this reason, he dislikes that businessman Víctor de Aldama has "escaped from prison" in the 'Mascarillas' case. Furthermore, he has underlined his concern about the actions of judges like Peinado, whom he accuses of trying to "bring down a government democratically elected by the ballot box" through an investigation in the Begoña Gómez case that he describes as "a real disgrace."
He then questioned Sémper about whether former president José María Aznar would allow them to support the reform of the statutes of former presidents registered by Sumar in the Lower House, reproaching the PP that, when an initiative against corruption is proposed in Congress, they "always find some excuse to vote no."
In his speech, Urtasun also warned the 'popular' leader that there will be no "moderate version" in the PP as long as the "ship" continues to be "captained" by the party's secretary general, Miguel Tellado, or its alliance with Vox is maintained.
"We are going to continue working to improve people's lives. And if you believe that we are going to make decisions that will open the doors of this Government to the Gürtel party, and to the far right, I will answer you very clearly: sit down and wait," he concluded.
Sémper accuses the Government of accepting corruption
For his part, Sémper ironically replied to the Minister of Culture, throwing a 'You too' at him and predicting that "time will put Sumar in its place" for its support of the PSOE despite the corruption cases affecting the socialists.
Afterwards, he recited some verses from the poet to maintain that the Government's "merry-go-round" "is no longer turning" and that Spaniards are tired of the Executive and the groups that support it. "You are accepting the greatest indignity, which is corruption," Sémper added, to question what Sumar would do if a former PP president were to accumulate jewels worth 1.3 million, as is the case with Zapatero.