Three weeks of trial and several high-voltage days later, now comes the turn of the main course of the Mascarillas case, at least from the political-judicial perspective: the appearance of the former Minister of Transport and former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, José Luis Ábalos. An appointment that once again highlights the connection between two spheres that should walk separately —politics and justice— but which in Spain frequently function as communicating vessels.
Pedro Sánchez tried from the beginning to contain any shadow of corruption by presenting his Executive as “implacable” against the case. However, as also happens to the Partido Popular with past scandals, there are proper names that remain attached to certain acronyms for years. Politics offers firewalls, but it does not always manage to put out the reputational fire.
Furthermore, no public reference from the President of the Government to the appearance of José Luis Ábalos is expected. Both La Moncloa and Ferraz plan to focus their efforts in the coming hours on conveying the political initiative already announced and present events in different parts of Spain linked to the citizen equality agenda. Specifically, socialist circles maintain that the national priority marked by PP and Vox is “unjust and illegal” and responds to a strategy based “on hatred and discrimination” of which they prefer to speak.
Turn for whoever concentrated power in the PSOE
Ábalos has denied on several occasions that there was illegal financing in the PSOE, "at least" during the period in which he held the Secretariat of Organization. A version frontally opposed to that held just a few days ago by Víctor de Aldama, who presented himself as an alleged "link" between construction companies awarded public contracts and the Ministry of Transport to channel payments allegedly directed to the PSOE.
That aspect is being investigated in the Audiencia Nacional, although to date the businessman has not provided documentary evidence that supports his account.
Aldama spoke of deliveries of 50,000, 60,000 and even 250,000 euros transported in a backpack both to the Ministry and to Ábalos's home, in the Madrid neighborhood of El Viso. A version that Koldo García subsequently denied in court.
“Have you had knowledge that Aldama has delivered money to the PSOE?”, asked the lawyer Leticia de la Hoz. The former advisor's answer was blunt: “The PSOE does not take money from anyone”.
The political and procedural unknown is whether Ábalos will maintain that same line of defense this Monday. Legal sources foresee an extensive appearance, as already happened with Aldama and García. His strategy will involve insisting that “the alleged money from the kickbacks has not appeared” and that neither he nor his inner circle were directly responsible for the mask contracts during the pandemic.
The underlying objective is not only penal: it also consists of shielding, as far as possible, the party of which he was one of its most influential leaders.
The appearance will mark the PP's agenda
In Genoa, they consider that a profile like Víctor de Aldama's provides them with high-caliber political ammunition. Alberto Núñez Feijóo insisted again this week in Congress that the Masks case represents “the trial of his Government,” in reference to Sánchez's Executive. And this very Sunday, during a public event, he has reiterated that line by assuring that Spain is “suffering a political, institutional, and moral embarrassment.”
The Partido Popular faces, however, its own judicial front. In parallel, the trial for the Operación Kitchen is being held at the Audiencia Nacional, where the Fiscalía Anticorrupción maintains that a parapolice plot was articulated to spy on former treasurer Luis Bárcenas and recover sensitive documentation when the party was surrounded by the Caso Gürtel and the parallel accounting.
That context explains the popular strategy: to respond to wear and tear with wear and tear. In other words, to contrast the old PP's Caja B with the suspicions that now hover over Ferraz.
After Monday's meeting of the Steering Committee, it is expected that the popular leadership will use Ábalos' appearance to reinforce that narrative framework.
Pending judicial ruling, political battle assured
With the statement of José Luis Ábalos, the oral hearing will be practically ready for judgment. But if the judicial process enters its final phase, the politician will remain fully open.
PP and PSOE will continue using their respective corruption cases as a throwing weapon in a permanent campaign where each case file becomes a talking point and each appearance, an opportunity for attrition.