On July 17, 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a series of 15 anti-corruption measures in response to ongoing investigations into the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). The move follows recent allegations of corruption involving senior party figures, including Santos Cerdán, a former aide and third-ranking official, who was placed under pretrial detention by the Supreme Court on July 10, 2025. The investigations, led by Spain’s Guardia Civil, uncovered an alleged scheme involving kickbacks worth over €500 million linked to public works contracts. Cerdán, along with former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and aide Koldo García, face accusations of bribery and influence peddling, though all deny wrongdoing. The measures include establishing a new supervisory authority, using advanced data analysis to detect fraud, and increasing penalties for corruption, with plans to implement them over the next year. The announcement comes amid a series of scandals, including a separate probe into improper mask contracts during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and follows the resignation of Francisco Salazar, a senior PSOE official, over sexual harassment allegations on July 5, 2025. The PSOE leadership has promised an external audit of party finances, with no specific timeline provided. Public statements indicate the government aims to restore trust, though details on the effectiveness of the measures remain pending.
34news.online
34news.online
