Madrid, (EFE).- The Central Electoral Board (JEC) has opened a disciplinary file against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for violating the principle of “institutional neutrality” during an electoral process and making “evaluative appraisals with electoral connotations” during the press conference after the last European Council held in Brussels.
The JEC recalls that it already sanctioned Sánchez in 2020 for the same cause, and that his statements warning of the “involution” that is taking place in Spain with the PP and Vox pacts in Extremadura and Valencia “could be legitimate in the course of a campaign act or in the ordinary exercise of freedom of expression, but not in the performance of the institutional activity of a public authority”.
“It would be breaking the principle of institutional neutrality” of article 103.1 of the Constitution and article 50.2 of the Electoral Law, says the JEC, which urges the president to issue the appropriate instructions so that during the remainder of the electoral period the demonstrations indicated evaluative values remain withdrawn from the pages and institutional accounts that the Presidency of the Government has on the Internet and on social networks.
And that “in future institutional acts it should be extremely diligent to avoid violating the principle of neutrality that public powers are obliged to respect during the electoral process.”
The JEC, in this way, partially estimates the appeal filed by the PP, considering that Sánchez also made evaluative assessments referring to presumed achievements in economic and labor matters aimed at promoting “a favorable assessment of the Government’s management.”
“Likewise, critical appraisals are made at said press conference, attributing alleged setbacks and cutbacks in rights to governments that arise from agreements between parties of a different political character than the parties that support the Government of the nation, a Government to which they are attributed alleged advances ”, argues the agreement of the JEC.
The letter highlights the “intrinsic importance” of Sánchez’s statements and his degree of projection and public repercussion when he was also about to assume the Presidency of the Council of the EU, although he recalls that it will be the investigator of the case who must decide if finally whether or not the president is sanctioned or whether it can be appreciated that his statements were made spontaneously.
“This Board has already indicated that it must be made very clear that in Spain the high positions of the Public Administrations are at the service of all Spaniards and that, consequently, the partisan use for the benefit of a certain political faction, of the institutional resources assigned to them”, points out the JEC.
In addition, it does not admit the allegations of the president’s defense that the demonstrations were essential to safeguard the public interest or for the proper development of a public service.