Spain faces criticism from the Council of Europe over alleged corruption among its senior officials
The Spanish government is facing renewed scrutiny over its anti-corruption measures, with a recent report by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) confirming little progress since recommendations made in 2019.
The report, published in August 2025, highlights several areas of concern, including the establishment and functioning of the Conflict of Interests Office and the lack of a robust special procedure for government members' criminal responsibility.
The Conflict of Interests Office, which is tasked with monitoring and enforcing conflict of interest rules among public officials, remains weak and ineffective. It lacks adequate independence, resources, and authority, according to the GRECO evaluation.
Moreover, the report states that the criminal responsibility of government members is not effectively regulated by a special procedure, undermining accountability and the fight against high-level corruption.
These shortcomings have come to light despite several corruption scandals involving senior officials, which prompted Spanish authorities to announce anti-corruption actions in mid-2025.
Notably, a former minister of the Spanish right, Cristóbal Montoro of the Popular Party (PP), is accused of seven crimes including fraud and corruption. The Spanish socialist prime minister's wife, Begona Gómez, is under investigation for corruption and influence peddling. Santos Cerdán, a former high-ranking member of the PSOE and close collaborator of the Spanish prime minister, was placed in preventive detention due to allegations of receiving bribes for public contracts.
The prime minister's brother-in-law, David, is also to be tried for influence peddling. Judicial investigations against people close to the Spanish socialist prime minister have multiplied in recent months.
In an effort to address these issues, the Spanish socialist prime minister presented an anti-corruption plan to Parliament on July 9. However, the details of this plan are not specified in the provided text.
The report also notes the absence of robust action regarding recommendations for high-level executive functions in the central government. The Attorney General of the State, Álvaro García Ortiz, appointed in 2022 by the left-wing government, will be tried for judicial information leak.
The Action Plan for Democracy and the administrative transparency bill propose improvements in the area of combating corruption, but these initiatives have yet to be implemented.
GRECO has requested that the Spanish authorities submit a report on the progress made in implementing its recommendations by June 30, 2026. The ongoing delays and insufficient implementation of anti-corruption reforms in Spain’s central government, especially concerning conflict of interest management and specialized criminal procedures for government members, contribute to repeated corruption scandals and hinder Spain’s compliance with European anti-corruption standards.
The report published in August 2025 by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) criticizes the Spanish government for lacking progress in its anti-corruption measures, specifically citing the ineffectiveness of the Conflict of Interests Office and the absence of a robust special procedure for government members' criminal responsibility.
These criticisms are significant as they come amidst numerous high-profile corruption scandals involving senior officials, such as former minister Cristóbal Montoro, the prime minister's wife Begona Gómez, and Santos Cerdán, a former close collaborator of the prime minister. Despite announcing anti-corruption actions in mid-2025, the ongoing corruption scandals highlight the urgency for effective reforms in politics and general-news related to Spain's corruption issues.
