Since the Popular Party achieved an absolute majority in the Senate in 2023, Pedro Sanchez He has stepped on it twice. The first, in a control session, on March 12, 2024. The second, on October 30, in the investigation commission of the «Koldo case»where he had no choice but to attend, because the law mandates. Come on, it was mandatory. The president’s ignoring of the Upper House, in addition, is beginning to create a school in the Council of Ministers.
A good example of this is that his number two, the first vice president and head of the Treasury, Maria Jesus Monterohas joined the trend of standing up to the routine debates held every Tuesday in the plenary. Strictly speaking, all members of the Government, if they so choose, can circumvent parliamentary control, as long as they present justified cause. And this is what Montero has apparently done since the beginning of the new political course in September.
In total, she has informed the Board that she would be absent in five of the six sessions held. The problem, different sources from the institution assure LA RAZÓN, is that it has used “ghost meetings” which, in no case, have appeared in the official agenda that Moncloa makes public daily.
«Since the beginning of this new political course, since September, six control sessions have been held in the Senate and María Jesús Montero has only attended on one occasion »they point out. “Since September, in addition, the new Senate regulations proposed by the PP have been in force, in which ministers are obliged to have to justify their absences in the control of the Senate.” This, they indicate, is what has led to “know Montero’s fake excuses” to not attend the control sessions. “All her excuses are meetings of public companies or organizations that depend directly on her.”
Recurring meetings with Navantia
Next, the Chamber provides a list of pretexts used by the Government to justify Montero’s plans: «On September 9, he announced that he was not attending because he had a meeting with the president of the SEPI. On September 16, he announced that he was not attending because he had a meeting with the president of the National Mint and Stamp Factory. On October 7, he announced that he was not attending because he had a meeting with the president of Navantia. For the plenary session on Tuesday, October 18, he announced that he would not attend a meeting with the president of the State Commercial Society for Real Estate Asset Management. On October 21, he announced that he was not attending a meeting with the president of State Lotteries and Betting. Finally, “On November 4, he said that he was not attending due to a meeting with the president of Navantia.”
Well then. Neither on the Moncloa website nor on the Ministry of Finance’s website is there information about the aforementioned meetings. There are also no photos, documentation, or even posts on social networks. Or even press releases. For members of the Senate there is no doubt: “They are fake”. However, the first vice president does not represent an exception, because the absences of ministers are becoming more and more frequent, which skyrocketed in the last plenary session, a week after Sánchez’s “third degree” in the “Koldo case” commission.
A “shocking” that will be repeated next week, because the forecast is that there will once again be a good number of casualties: eight in total. Montero, of course, who has “meeting with the President of the State Commercial Society for Real Estate Asset Management”and also: Yolanda Díaz, Sara Aagesen, José Manuel Albares, Margarita Robles, Pilar Alegría, Jordi Hereu, Luis Planas and Óscar López. All of them have cited an official agenda to avoid submitting to control.
Alicia García denounces Montero
A reprehensible behavior in the eyes of the PP, which is launched, above all, against Montero. In the ranks of the formation they denounce that the vice president resorts to constant “tricks” to avoid going to the Senate. In statements to this newspaper, the party spokesperson, Alicia Garciadenounces: «Corruption, lies and institutional disloyalty are the trademark of Sanchismo. And María Jesús Montero is an outstanding student.
According to the reproach, “the ERE advisor and the Minister of Finance, who refuses to comply with her constitutional obligation to present Budgets, flees the Senate fraudulently.” The minister, the popular leader emphasizes, “It has to comply with the regulations of the Senate because it has the character of Law and the Law is mandatory.
The spokesperson says she is aware that “in Sanchismo, lies, corruption and disloyalty are rewarded, but the law is the same for everyone.” And he concludes: «The PP will not sit idly by while Montero breaks the law and mocks the Senate and all Spaniards. We will use all the instruments at our disposal to dismantle his lies and assume his responsibility. The PP is already studying legal actions.