Are Portuguese journalists paying attention to Spain?

Pedro Sánchez has been Prime Minister of Spain since 2 June 2018, when he has headed successive governments to date.

The inauguration as head of the Spanish Government, in June 2018, was preceded by a motion of censure presented by the PSOE in the Spanish parliament, after the Spanish court ruling (in the so-called Gürtel Case) was known, which condemned the PP for benefiting from a corruption scheme, and which was approved by the majority of the deputies in that assembly.

In short, in 2018 the PSOE, already led by Pedro Sánchez, considered that, due to the fact that the PP was involved in corruption schemes, such a reality would affect the dignity and legitimacy of the then PP Government led by Mariano Rajoy, to the point that it would not be possible for that executive to continue in office.

It was the first time that Pedro Sánchez managed to bring together the entire left and far-left party bloc in Spain, as well as the regional and pro-independence parties that have been his allies ever since.

Over time, we have been witnessing several situations that have also affected the various PSOE governments led by Pedro Sánchez, whose lack of transparency and borderline (or already outside) legality are attributed to the aforementioned executives.

In short, Pedro Sánchez's PSOE governments have been linked to the following cases:

1. Koldo case : Koldo García, a former advisor to José Luis Ábalos (former Minister of Transport), was accused of involvement in a corruption scheme related to the purchase of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overpriced contracts allegedly generated illicit commissions. The case exploded in 2024, with investigations pointing to a corruption network involving government officials and businessmen.
2. Ábalos Case: José Luis Ábalos (former Minister of Transport) faced additional charges of favoritism in public contracts, nepotism (such as appointing relatives) and alleged involvement in illicit activities, including mentions of bribery and prostitution.
3. Air Europa bailout: The Spanish government has approved a €475 million bailout for the airline Air Europa during the pandemic. Criticism has emerged that the decision unduly benefited the company, with suspicions of political favoritism and a lack of transparency in the allocation of funds.
4. Begoña Gómez case: In April 2024, Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, was investigated for alleged influence peddling and business corruption. The charges, filed by a far-right organization (Manos Limpias), allege that Gómez used her position to favor companies in public contracts.
5. Aldama Case (Hydrocarbons): Businessman Víctor de Aldama was accused of operating a corruption network involving hydrocarbon contracts, with allegations of bribery and favoritism in bidding processes. The case, revealed in 2024, suggests connections with members of the Sánchez government, although without direct involvement of the prime minister.
6. David Sánchez case / Badajoz Provincial Council: Investigation into the hiring of David Sánchez, the president's brother, by the Badajoz Provincial Council. Alleged creation of a public position tailored to him, without a public competition, constituting administrative malfeasance and influence peddling.

In parallel with the situations mentioned above, Pedro Sánchez's PSOE has also been accused of several attempts to interfere in matters of justice and criminal investigation.

Given the seriousness of the situation described above, and considering Portugal's historical connection to Spain, both at a territorial, economic and cultural level, it would be expected that the Portuguese media would give special importance to what is happening in the neighbouring country, at least in terms of the energy they apply to various other issues involving foreign countries (as we have seen in the war between Ukraine and Russia – which began in 2022; the US elections – which began, in this new phase, at least since the beginning of 2024, with the primary elections for the nomination of the Republican and Democratic parties; the Brazilian elections – at least since the electoral campaign that pitted Lula da Silva against Jair Bolsonaro, this in 2022).

However, this is not what has been seen.

Portuguese media coverage of the corruption scandals involving Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE government has been relatively discreet and isolated. Although the main Portuguese media outlets, such as Público, Expresso, Observador, Diário de Notícias and Jornal de Negócios, have reported the most relevant developments, the attention given to these cases has been insipid and has mostly been given to news agencies – with Lusa in particular – without there being any memory of at least one of the countless debates promoted by Portuguese news channels or of the resident commentators having spoken out.

We are talking about media outlets that have dedicated countless hours to external issues, for a wide variety of reasons (from Elon Musk's alleged Nazi salute, to the alleged slap by the First Lady of France to Emanuel Macron, among other similar situations).

But, in the end, it could be the case that all this is nothing more than a huge coincidence or extreme inattention on the part of Portuguese journalists.

However, at the end of May, news about the so-called “Leire Case” appeared in all Spanish media outlets, which became a political scandal in Spain, involving allegations that members of the PSOE, including President Pedro Sánchez and Secretary of Organization Santos Cerdán, were linked to an operation to obtain compromising information on members of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Guardia Civil.

At the same time, the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, called a large demonstration in Madrid on June 8, entitled “Mafia o Democracia”, which promises to be one of the moments with the greatest impact in the contestation of the PSOE government of Pedro Sánchez.

And about this, what have the media in Portugal said about this matter since then?

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Despite all the time spent on certainly very pertinent foreign policy news, such as Greta Thunberg's boat trip to Gaza, Portuguese journalists had no time or interest in informing Portuguese readers about what is happening in the country that has the greatest impact on the reality of Portugal.

Given such perplexity in this approach, an additional question to the title of this text arises: why have Portuguese journalists not paid attention to what has been happening regarding the cases involving allegedly illicit activities in the Spanish government of Pedro Sánchez's PSOE, since 2018?

Editorial note: The views expressed by the authors of the articles published in this column may not be fully shared by all members of Oficina da Liberdade and do not necessarily reflect the position of Oficina da Liberdade on the topics discussed. Despite having a common view of the State, which they want to be small, and the world, which they want to be free, the members of Oficina da Liberdade and its guest authors do not always agree on the best way to get there.