The former Spanish minister was sentenced to 24 years in prison: ‘He cheated on Covid masks too! Received bribe’

This unusually long sentence is the result of several criminal offenses, including bribery for the purchase of face masks during the covid-19 pandemic and the damage to public trust that he caused as a high-profile person in violation of the rules, according to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“A society that experiences that those in positions of power act guided by private interests or interests that are not connected with public service… experiences a loss of institutional legitimacy, which threatens the stability of the system itself,” the verdict reads.

Despiteč therefore, the time that Abalos will actually serve is limited by Spanish law to about 16 and a half years, the court announced.

The verdict came at a time when more than ten people close to the prime minister are under investigation or in court for corruption, including his wife and brother and an influential political figure, former socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Sanchez has not yet been named in any of the cases. He came to power eight years ago by ousting a center-right government burdened with corruption, promising to clean up politics.

Asked about the punishment, a government official said that the government believes in “transparency, merit and integrity” and “unequivocally condemns the behavior that clearly violated those principles, and because of it”.

Public concern about corruption is far lower than it was 10 years ago, but polls show it is rising on the list of the country’s top problems in voters’ perceptions, said Luis Cornago-Bonal, a political scientist at the London School of Economics (LSE) and an adviser at consultancy Teneo.

“Given the accusations that are now hanging over both the government and the opposition, there is a risk that Spain will enter a longer phase of public discontent and deeper polarization,” he added.

Monday’s ruling served as a spur to the opposition to renew calls for Sanchez to step down and call elections. The government excluded that option before the end of the mandate in August 2027.