The Junta de Andalucia has called for a ‘change of government’ in Spain after anti-corruption police entered the national headquarters of the PSOE as part of a widening investigation.
The operation is linked to alleged payments made to a network accused of targeting judges and prosecutors handling cases affecting the ruling party.
It has already resulted in several high-profile figures being placed under investigation, including former Andalucian vice-president Gaspar Zarrias.
Speaking after a meeting of Andalucia’s caretaker regional government, Economy Minister and spokeswoman Carolina España said Spain could not continue ‘waking up to scandal after scandal’.
She argued the country’s political situation ‘can only get worse’ and demanded fresh elections so Spaniards could ‘express themselves at the ballot box’.
España also demanded explanations from PSOE Andalucia leader María Jesus Montero, pointing to her role as deputy secretary general at PSOE’s national headquarters in Madrid.
The Andalucian minister questioned ‘what she knows about all this’ and also referenced Montero’s former role as president of the state-owned holding company SEPI while she served as Spain’s finance minister.
The comments came amid growing political fallout from the investigation into former PSOE militant Leire Diez and an alleged covert operation targeting members of the judiciary and police investigators.
España also used the press conference to criticise Spain’s central government over delayed regional funding payments.
She claimed Andalucia had so far received €1.583billion less than expected due to delays updating advance payments under Spain’s regional financing system.
‘Every month another €515 million is added to this debt,’ she said.
Although she admitted Andalucia’s finances remained stable, España accused the government of ‘getting used to keeping resources belonging to the autonomous communities’.
She claimed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was more focused on court cases and political survival than governing.
‘This government lives more concerned about the courts than management,’ she said.
España further accused Sanchez of prioritising Catalonia and the Basque Country over the rest of Spain, claiming other regions were being ‘ignored’.
She described the current situation as ‘unsustainable’ and said the country had become ‘ungovernable’.
The spokeswoman also criticised Sanchez for refusing to call early elections despite mounting scandals surrounding his government and PSOE.
Her remarks came as the prime minister travelled to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV ahead of the pontiff’s planned visit to Spain next week.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
