Project for Philosophical Evaluations of the Economy |
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Should Mariano Rajoy resign?
Dialogue with the Alter Ego on the PP’s financing scandal, first drafted on Feb. 6, published on Feb. 9, 2013
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Question by Alter Ego of Noah denkt™ (AE): Spain’s ruling Partido Popular is embroiled in allegations of huge
party financing scandal these days. Whatever Mr. Rajoy’s personal implication in all the backroom dealing may
be, the fact remains, that he has been a leading figure in the PP for the last decade. And that in turn makes it
hard to argue that he doesn’t bear some personal responsibility for all the mess that has been uncovered now.
The simple question that therefore needs to be addressed is this: Should Mr. Rajoy resign over this?
Answer by Noah denkt™ (Nd): Well, if it is true that he has received continuous payments out of an illicit, secret
fund for the last 11 years then, in deed, it would be the decent thing for him to resign. At this point, however,
nothing has been proven yet. So far, the entire scandal rests on the scribbling of the ex-treasurer of the PP. And
due diligence, certainly, requires that more evidence needs to be presented that corroborates the ex-treasurer’s
allegations.
AE: Common sense, however, suggests that all this talk about illegal donations, especially from construction
companies, which ended up in an undeclared Swiss bank account, is true. Let’s not forget here that Germany’s
conservative party, the CDU, was embroiled in a similar scandal just a few years ago. Is it, therefore, not
reasonable to presume that the PP has made a similar mistake now?
Nd: Unfortunately, it is quite likely that these allegations are true. And yet, we cannot jump the gun. We need to
wait until the justice system is producing the legal charges against Mr. Rajoy and others.
AE: At the same time, we need to brace ourselves though for a worst case outcome here, don’t we?
Nd: Yes, we do
AE: And wouldn’t it be a very hard blow for the Spanish reform project and the EURO rescue efforts, if Mr. Rajoy
were in deed forced to step down from his office?
Nd: It would be hard blow, but not a devastating one.
AE: Why do you say that?
Nd: Well, first of all, it seems to us that the majority of the necessary reforms in Spain are firmly underway. And
secondly, it is our impression that there are other figures in the PP that are just as capable as Mr. Rajoy himself to
continue in his footsteps.
AE: And which politicians in particular does Noah denkt™ have in mind here?
Nd: It seems to us as if Mr. de Guindos and Ms. Saenz de Santamaria could be suitable candidates here, that is if
they themselves are not involved in their party’s financing scandal.
AE: Neither one of them has won a national election though. Doesn’t that adversely affect their legitimacy both
inside and outside the PP?
Nd: Well, it’s certainly not an ideal position to start from. But politics is a messy business even if it is at its best. So,
for the sake of the higher interest in the EURO project, we shouldn’t ask for perfection here
AE: Alright, but if politics is such a messy business, as you say here, would it then not be wiser to gloss over Mr.
Rajoy’s alleged wrongdoing altogether. After all, no one really doubts that he is an honorable man.
Nd: No, this would simply be beyond the pale. Because you cannot expect a Spanish public sector worker to
accept substantial cuts to his paycheck when the people who impose these cuts accept illicit hand-outs even at
the same time.
Dialogue with the Alter Ego on the PP’s financing scandal, first drafted on Feb. 6, published on Feb. 9, 2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The records published in El Pais, Spain’s biggest newspaper, show Rajoy allegedly received 25,200 euros ($34,100) each
year for 11 years from a secret fund set up by Barcenas. Rajoy said he never received illegal payments, and that he hadn’t not
become a politician with the goal of making money.
Bloomberg News
Question by Alter Ego of Noah denkt™ (AE): Spain’s ruling Partido Popular is embroiled in allegations of huge
party financing scandal these days. Whatever Mr. Rajoy’s personal implication in all the backroom dealing may
be, the fact remains, that he has been a leading figure in the PP for the last decade. And that in turn makes it
hard to argue that he doesn’t bear some personal responsibility for all the mess that has been uncovered now.
The simple question that therefore needs to be addressed is this: Should Mr. Rajoy resign over this?
Answer by Noah denkt™ (Nd): Well, if it is true that he has received continuous payments out of an illicit, secret
fund for the last 11 years then, in deed, it would be the decent thing for him to resign. At this point, however,
nothing has been proven yet. So far, the entire scandal rests on the scribbling of the ex-treasurer of the PP. And
due diligence, certainly, requires that more evidence needs to be presented that corroborates the ex-treasurer’s
allegations.
AE: Common sense, however, suggests that all this talk about illegal donations, especially from construction
companies, which ended up in an undeclared Swiss bank account, is true. Let’s not forget here that Germany’s
conservative party, the CDU, was embroiled in a similar scandal just a few years ago. Is it, therefore, not
reasonable to presume that the PP has made a similar mistake now?
Nd: Unfortunately, it is quite likely that these allegations are true. And yet, we cannot jump the gun. We need to
wait until the justice system is producing the legal charges against Mr. Rajoy and others.
AE: At the same time, we need to brace ourselves though for a worst case outcome here, don’t we?
Nd: Yes, we do
AE: And wouldn’t it be a very hard blow for the Spanish reform project and the EURO rescue efforts, if Mr. Rajoy
were in deed forced to step down from his office?
Nd: It would be hard blow, but not a devastating one.
AE: Why do you say that?
Nd: Well, first of all, it seems to us that the majority of the necessary reforms in Spain are firmly underway. And
secondly, it is our impression that there are other figures in the PP that are just as capable as Mr. Rajoy himself to
continue in his footsteps.
AE: And which politicians in particular does Noah denkt™ have in mind here?
Nd: It seems to us as if Mr. de Guindos and Ms. Saenz de Santamaria could be suitable candidates here, that is if
they themselves are not involved in their party’s financing scandal.
AE: Neither one of them has won a national election though. Doesn’t that adversely affect their legitimacy both
inside and outside the PP?
Nd: Well, it’s certainly not an ideal position to start from. But politics is a messy business even if it is at its best. So,
for the sake of the higher interest in the EURO project, we shouldn’t ask for perfection here
AE: Alright, but if politics is such a messy business, as you say here, would it then not be wiser to gloss over Mr.
Rajoy’s alleged wrongdoing altogether. After all, no one really doubts that he is an honorable man.
Nd: No, this would simply be beyond the pale. Because you cannot expect a Spanish public sector worker to
accept substantial cuts to his paycheck when the people who impose these cuts accept illicit hand-outs even at
the same time.
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| Keywords: Partido Popular, Financing scandal of the Partido Popular, illegal payments to the Partido Popular, illicit payments to the Partido Popular, illicit donations to the Partido Popular, Spain's Partido Popular, Spanish Party politics, Mariano Rajoy, Luis de Guindos, Saenz de Santamaria |