What is wrong with politics in Spain?

[Perikles]

The Pujol scandal again.

Here (in Spanish) is a report on the fraudulent dealings of the eldest son.

I find it all quite unbelievable, even for Spain. This Pujol sets himself up as some figurehead and leader of the Catalunyan CiU political party, and even has a foundation concerned with ethical behaviour (which now seems paralyzed).

Then, Pujol admits he has money hidden abroad, concealed from the taxman for 30 years. This looks at first sight like a confession of somebody with a guilty conscience. Turns out that his eldest son is being investigated for various fraudulent dealings, and that this all started when an ex-girlfriend (hell hath no fury ...  ) reported their regular trips to Andorra returning with wads of €500 notes. Clearly, this "confession" of Pujol is merely an attempt at deflecting the crap from his son, something he realised was inevitable. Having "confessed" they then attempt to block any investigation with legal action, thus demonstrating that it wasn't a confession at all.

This report lists several instances where the son was paid millions in backhanders for ficticious brokering activities concerned with contracts for the Catalunyan government of which the father was president. The list seems endless, and extends to other sons as well.

What amazes me is, if I've understood it correctly, this family is so wealthy anyway, that they would be living in the lap of luxury without all this fraud. So why screw the population out of even more money when setting yourself up as some ethical figurehead? The arrogance and hypocrisy of these people is just beyond description.

Oh - and another CiU politician, obviously concerned about the effect on the Catalunyan independence movement, said it was purely a personal affair for Pujol and had no political significance. They really do believe the electorate to be totally stupid, don't they?

[El Profesor]

They really do believe the electorate to be totally stupid, don't they?

.
And they have reason to. It is sort of expected, why else be a politician?

[Guanche]

They really do believe the electorate to be totally stupid, don't they?

Sadly they mostly are, and blind and deaf and disintersted, apathetic, couldn't care less, voters of habit with blinkers on.

I bet this investigation, if there is one, will take decades. The old man Pujol will die before any trial. The investigation will be stopped as the 'prize' witness was Pujol and the government or political leaders who no doubt shared in the rich pickings will give a sigh of relief and all will be forgotten!

[Perikles]

Now, investigators suspect that the fortune in Andorra kept secret by Pujol is not an inhertitance from his father, but backhanders from builders getting contracts for public buildings during his 23-year period of being president of Catalunya.

I'm shocked, shocked.

If he were a bog standad politician, this would not be surprising, but he set himself up as a champion of ethical behaviour fighting against corrupt practices, and there he was, screwing the people like everybody else.

El País

[Perikles]

This is weird. Anni Bottle has mystified everybody, and the police are boycotting her. The Chief of Police in Madrid resigned recently, and she has appointed somebody else, somebody who has three weeks to go before retirement, and has 3 weeks of holiday leave still to take.

How insane is that? My only guess is that if his nomination is a promotion, then his pension will be increased if it is a function of the salary in his last post. And presumably he is a friend of hers.

I'm just guessing, but if this is true, how bloody blatant.


The Local

[Perikles]

I think Spain should adopt this policy. It's a report on how somebody was awarded 30 million dollars for reporting a scam on Wall Street The reward is usually 10% of the amount of tax retrieved. People should be rewarded for shopping their political collegues. The trouble is of course, they would then get shopped back. 

[El Profesor]

Airports with no flights Huh! How about this one?  A Bridge to Nowhere. Da   Dada  Daaaa

The highest bridge in Spain . . . . . second highest in Europe. (over a rather meagre river which you can almost wade across)

This village near Toledo has 30% unemployment, yet they chose to spend 73 million euros on a bridge with no traffic. Then it went 28% over budget.
It's a beautiful bridge but unfortunately now they can't afford to maintain it.

this link includes a funky interactive decadence map of Spain.

[Perikles]

Get this - it is an article about passing exams to get a position at the Tribunal de Cuentas - the National Audit Office. If I've understood it correctly, one candidate of 225 applicants presented himself to a notary before the exams and made a notarized prediction of 14 names which would get the 14 posts open.

He got 12 right 

Amazingly, every one of the 12 successful candidates was closely related to somebody high up in the department.

How incredible is that?

El País

[Perikles]

El País has reported that 51 people have been arrested in connection with fraud etc for backhanders and falsification of documents in massive building projects. All of them could be classified as "the political class" with powerful positions, and as far as I can tell, they all belong to the PP - a political party that people are still voting for. Is the country waking up?

[Janet]

I was reading only today that Podemos is now the second party, ahead of the PSOE. So, in one respect, the PP are still in the lead, and would still be re-elected, so no, not waking up at all ... but the fact that Podemos is second ...

... encouraging ...