Spanish judiciary under suspicion of corruption
Spain's Congress of Deputies has withdrawn its confidence in the minister of justice, the chief public prosecutor and the head of the anti-corruption authority. All deputies apart from those of the conservative Partido Popular (PP) voted for the declaration, accusing the above of impeding the judiciary's investigation of cases of corruption. Is this party politics or the last chance to restore the people's trust in politics?
Having a majority doesn't mean you're right
The Spanish Congress's vote of no confidence is a reprehensible move inspired by party interests, ABC rails:
“This initiative by the opposition is an act of opportunism. ... The arguments presented to justify the withdrawal of confidence are based on deceiving the public and distorting the public prosecutor's role in criminal justice. Never has it been more apparent that having a majority doesn't mean you're right. ... Yesterday's reprobation had nothing to do with concern about the judiciary functioning properly. If it had, one should have started questioning why so much confidential information and distorted allegations that undermine the presumption of innocence and greatly harm the rule of law have become public.”
Government's lack of credibility is dangerous
If the conservatives don't thoroughly investigate the cases of corruption they must bear full responsibility for the people turning their back on politics, warns El País:
“Minister Catalá and his colleagues have failed to convince the people with their explanations. This is a grave error, above all at a time when the institutions of representative democracy are being called into question and the view that the entire system is corrupt is gaining traction. If the PP can't convince people - as it claims - that it is radically committed to the fight against corruption, it will bear the blame for the dangerously growing doubts about the separation of powers.”