Intense day in the newsroom of La Vanguardia and I imagine also in the rest of the media in light of the revelation of the summary of the case affecting former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which consists of a total of 697 different documents. Imagine the thousands of pages that must be read and analyzed in record time about the activities of the scheme that would have facilitated the granting of a loan to the airline Plus Ultra. With the presumption of innocence as a banner and Zapatero’s defenselessness, who will not speak until his interrogation before the judge scheduled for June 2, the evidence that the investigation provides in this summary directly implicates the former president in the scheme, either for receiving reports or for the involvement of people close to him in the operations.
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It is too early to know if these accusations could lead to a criminal conviction. What does seem clear is that they are a torpedo to the morality and ethics of a socialist leader who had become a reference for the left. It is a very hard blow for the progressives in this country. Enough to bring down Pedro Sánchez? Without a doubt, if general elections were held today, the impact could be decisive. And it is possible that the PSOE may no longer be able to renew the pact that invested Sánchez in 2023.
But the question is not this, but whether the scandal could lead to elections being brought forward right now. And this answer is more complex. It is already assumed that Sánchez will not do it. He has repeated it over and over again. The key is to know what the partners who supported him three years ago will do, and if these revelations about Zapatero could favor an instrumental motion of no confidence to call them. The spokesperson for the PP, Borja Sémper, is right when he says that “words alone are not enough.” The PNV has suggested advancing the elections, but has not moved – at least so far – to do so. We will see if someone does.
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Another matter is the opinion of the voter. Surely, there are more and more citizens who believe that the legislature has come to an end. The Government has to convince them that this is not the case and do so with more than words and Numantine resistance.
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