Spain's Sanchez swerves ally's questions in parliament over graft case
MADRID (Reuters) -Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined on Wednesday to say whether his name could crop up in a corruption investigation that has engulfed the ruling Socialists and seriously weakened his minority governing coalition.
Sanchez spoke during a grilling in parliament over revelations in a police report that included recordings of one of his main confidants, Santos Cerdan, appearing to discuss kickbacks in exchange for awarding public works contracts. Cerdan has denied any wrongdoing.
Political analysts say that if Sanchez's name were to appear in the investigation, his tenure as Socialist leader and prime minister would be in jeopardy.
He did not respond to a question by Gabriel Rufian of the Catalan nationalist Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya party about whether he would swear that his name would not show up as the police pursue their inquest.
Instead he accused Rufian, whose party is not in government but has backed it in some votes, of jumping to conclusions and said again that the report provided no indication that the Socialists had received illegal financing.
"Our intolerance of corruption is absolute," Sanchez said.
The police report is the latest and most severe of a series of scandals that has left Sanchez having to fend off calls from opponents and even some allies for snap elections.
Sanchez has named a new temporary leadership of his party and promised an external audit of its accounts.
He has also been having meetings with parties that supported his 2023 swearing-in, with many demanding further concessions for their policies in exchange for their continued support.
But some allies are concerned the scandal will widen with more senior figures implicated.
Sanchez has also faced a public backlash for having granted an amnesty to former members of the Catalan independence movement and has upset business leaders by agreeing to reduce the working week to four days.
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'Los Angeles is built upon the Dodgers. For them to not kind of be with us, I feel like us boycotting or not going to games will send that message.' Fans cite inconsistencies about the Dodgers' political stances Many in the Latino community have been sharing videos of stadium security confronting fans who have political signs or messages on their clothing. Longtime Dodger fan Emeli Avalos says she doesn't believe the team is apolitical since they released a statement to condemn Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 'If it's really about staying out of politics, then why do they support that? But when people down the street from them are getting taken, kidnapped, why do they stay silent?' she said. Avalos attended Pride Night on June 13 wearing a shirt that said 'Abolish ICE' on the front and 'FDT' — an acronym for an expletive directed at President Donald Trump — on the back. In a popular TikTok video, Avalos is seen speaking with Dodgers security. She says she thought she was going to be asked to leave but was instead asked to cover the back of her shirt with her jersey. 'They told me, 'The front is fine, you just gotta cover the back,'' said Avalos, who said she will not be returning to the stadium. Another video of a fan being confronted by security for holding a banner with 'ICE' crossed out circulated online over the weekend, furthering criticism of the team. When asked about the incidents, a Dodgers spokesperson pointed to the team's stadium guidelines, which state the team 'does not allow signs or banners of any kind.' Also prohibited is any attire the Dodgers deem — at their sole discretion — to be obscene, profane, vulgar, indecent, violent, threatening, abusive or prejudiced against any individual or group. Nezza does not think she will return to the stadium, despite the Dodgers' statement, but says she hopes her performance will inspire others to use their voice and speak out. 'It's just shown me like how much power there is in the Latin community,' she said. 'We gotta be the voice right now.'
