Decision of the Constitutional Court
Recently, the plenary session of the Constitutional Court has acquitted of embezzlement a senior official who was previously convicted for his involvement in the scandal of the Employment Regulation Files (ERE) in Andalusia. This decision could result in the release of the first person convicted in prison, and possibly affect the former president of the Junta José Antonio Griñán. The progressive majority of seven magistrates of the Constitutional Court annulled the conviction of Miguel Ángel Serrano, who held the position of general director of the Institution for the Promotion of Andalusia (IFA) / Agency for Innovation and Development of Andalusia (IDEA), the entity in charge of distributing the ERE aid.
The newspaper ABC has highlighted this news with the headline ‘The TC also erases the misappropriation of the ERE’, and has pointed out that the court has generated controversy by intervening in matters that fall within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, which has generated divided opinions between jurists and politicians.
Reactions to the Decision
Position of the Popular Party
The Popular Party (PP) has expressed its disagreement with the decision of the Constitutional Court, stating that the court is dominated by former members of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) who are eliminating corruption from the party through revisionisms. The general secretary of the PP, Cuca Gamarra, has regretted the exoneration of the crime of embezzlement of a senior official convicted by the ERE of Andalusia, and has criticized the court’s alleged interference in matters of political corruption.
Posture of The World
The newspaper El Mundo has focused its attention on the president of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, and has criticized Begoña Gómez, the wife of the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for alleged irregularities at the Complutense University of Madrid. According to a report from the university, Gómez had made an irregular award, which has generated controversy in the political sphere.
Political Situation in the United Kingdom
In another context, the newspaper El País has highlighted the political situation in the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces elections that could be unfavorable for his party, the Conservative Party. After a landslide victory in the 2019 general election, the party has seen a decline, which could lead to loss in the upcoming election.