The Government closes ranks with Puente after questioning the impartiality of Judge Tardón and Sumar sees it as a "serious error"

The Government has backed the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, this Tuesday, after he questioned the impartiality of María Tardón, a magistrate of the Audiencia Nacional in charge of investigating the massive entry of migrants into Ceuta. The defense made by Moncloa has opened a public difference with Sumar, which considers it a "serious error" to put the judge under suspicion at this time.

The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations and Government spokesperson, Elma Saiz, avoided discrediting Puente during the press conference after the Council of Ministers. "He is a good jurist who values judicial independence," she responded when asked about the statements of the head of Transport.

Saiz presented Puente as a person with experience in the practice of law and as a "procedural expert". Government sources also consider him an "authorized voice of the Government" to comment on the investigation, although the spokesperson accompanied her support with a defense of "maximum respect for judicial work," collaboration with Justice, and transparency.

Puente's doubts and the backing of the Audiencia Nacional

As 'ElConstitucional.es' has already published this Tuesday, Puente considered it "quite strange" that Tardón asked the police officers in charge of preparing the report on Ceuta to keep its content away from the body's commanders.

The minister stated in an interview on 'Hora 25', on 'Cadena SER', that this order revealed a "principle of distrust" and could fuel doubts about the magistrate's impartiality. He also alluded to her past as a Popular Party councilwoman in Madrid and assured that the document's leak to the press before it reached the Executive "smells a bit fishy."

The Government Chamber of the Audiencia Nacional already expressed its "absolute backing" for Tardón last week. The nine members of the body unanimously defended that the magistrate acted within her powers and that the reservation required of the police team sought to preserve the general interest of Spain.

Sumar calls for respect for the investigation

The most critical response within the coalition has come from Sumar. The Más Madrid deputy Tesh Sidi has assured that, so far, the Audiencia Nacional "is doing its job" and that no action has appeared that would allow suspicion of the investigation.

Sidi has described questioning Tardón as a "serious error" and has warned that these criticisms "do a disservice" to the denunciation of true 'lawfare' practices. The deputy believes that the requests made to the National Police and the Armed Forces fall within the usual functions of a judicial investigation.

The parliamentary spokesperson for Sumar, Verónica Martínez Barbero, has also called for a "presumption of legality" for the magistrate as the case progresses. Her party has criticized judicial actions in other proceedings, but believes that there are still not enough elements to issue such an accusation against Tardón.

Sumar shares, however, doubts about the leak of the report prepared by the National Immigration and Borders Center (CENIF). Martínez Barbero has acknowledged that it is surprising that the document ended up published on the front page of a newspaper while remaining unknown to the Ministry of Interior.

Sumar deputy Alberto Ibáñez has urged Puente to convey his concerns to the Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, and address the structural reforms necessary to restore public trust in the courts.

The Government is now preparing its appearance as an injured party in the case before the Audiencia Nacional and has approved the declassification of 40 documents prepared between July 1 and August 1 on the Ceuta crisis. The order will appear this Wednesday in the Official State Gazette and will allow the publication of the reports with sensitive data duly anonymized.