The Central Electoral Board (JEC) has imposed a fine of 2,200 euros on Pedro Sánchez for using the press conference he gave on June 30 in Brussels, after his participation in the European Council held that same day and the day before, for his campaign as a PSOE candidate for the July 23 elections. In the resolution agreed this Thursday by said body – to which EL MUNDO has had access -, it is argued that the acting president of the Government incurred in the “breach of the principle of neutrality that all public powers must respect during the electoral process.”
The decision has been adopted in application of article 50.2 of the Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime for the “carrying out of demonstrations with evaluative and electoral content taking advantage of the public means available to him” in his capacity as a public leader in the exercise of his position. Due to this fact, it is considered that the candidate for reelection incurred “the undermining of the principle of equality between the competing political formations” contained in article 8.1 of the aforementioned norm.
At the press conference in question, a few hours after assuming the current Presidency of the European Union, Sánchez criticized from the Belgian capital the agreements that the PP and Vox were reaching at that time in communities and town councils after the elections were held. autonomous and municipal. In response to questions from the press, the Spanish president stated that it caused him “blush” that the parties led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal were agreeing to “cuts in rights in exchange for votes.”
“I have had conversations with different leaders who are frankly, let’s say it this way, surprised and displeased with the regression that is taking place in certain debates where, until unfortunately May 28, Spain had been an example and right now we are being a counterexample,” he stressed after his participation in the European Council. Likewise, he warned that on June 23, citizens would have to choose between “a far-right coalition government” or one of a “progressive nature”, alluding to a new reissue of the bipartite at the head of La Moncloa even if it were with Podemos diluted in the brand. by Sumar.
With the same argument, the JEC has also fined the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, 2,200 euros, in his case for campaigning during the presentation of the mobility improvements in the Maresme region, planned with the contribution of 384 million of euros, and to the spokesman for the Junta de Castilla y León, Carlos Fernández Carriedo, for his political statements at a press conference called to report on the agreements of the Government Council.
