A corruption fight involving Ábalos has landed him in Soto del Real prison.Rajoy's prophetic responseMariano Rajoy also chose not to remain silent that day.Be that as it may, seven years after that speech, José Luis Ábalos has been engulfed by corruption and has entered prison due to his continuous kickbacks.These sharp statements ended Rajoy's government and ultimately proclaimed Pedro Sánchez as president.However, those words now turn against him because of his subsequent actions.A speech that for a moment made him a benchmark in the fight against corruption, but which has ended up portraying him in a bad light.Seven years have passed since that May 31, 2018, when he was tasked with delivering a harsh speech in the no-confidence motion against the government of Mariano Rajoy.For over 42 minutes, Ábalos laid out the socialists' arguments to oust Rajoy and garner enough support to make Pedro Sánchez president, as ultimately happened.The judge made this decision considering there is a flight risk following the Public Prosecutor's office's indictment, which requests 24 years in prison.«Decency must be essential, not accessory,» he concluded amidst applause from his bench and the astonished gazes of the Popular Party members.He also took to describing that situation as having generated an "institutional crisis" in the government, adding that there was "a crisis of trust among Spanish citizens in their rulers."A fall from grace that has only just begun.Source: ABCThe then-president of the government responded with a prophetic, sardonic comment as usual.An unprecedented event in Spanish democracy, as he has become the first congressman sent to prison.The former minister fiercely attacked Rajoy's government time and again for illegal funding derived from the Gürtel or Púnica scandals.«To come and give lessons, one must be in a position to do so; otherwise, it's better to keep quiet,» Rajoy shot back at Ábalos.During his speech, Ábalos repeatedly emphasized the PP's corruption and staunchly defended the PSOE's historical integrity, which that year was celebrating its 139th anniversary.Ábalos described the PP as an "efficient system of institutional corruption" and claimed they created "a perfect circle of corruption, concealing it with tricks and artifices."Time and again, Ábalos insisted that Spain "could not tolerate corruption."It knows no neighborhoods, no flags, no doctrines.Related News: This is Soto del Real: the VIP prison with a pool, gym, and squash court.With a pool, gym, or squash court, the Madrid V Penitentiary Center has seen people like Santos Cerdán, Mario Conde, Rodrigo Rato, the 'Jordis' — Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart, both indicted for the 'procés'.That day, he used the word "corruption" or "corrupt" 14 times during his speech.The popular leader responded subtly, stating that "corruption is everywhere" and that "to give lessons, one must be in a position to do so.""Corruption is everywhere. What am I going to tell you that you don't know?" the former minister added.He also stated that one could not normalize corruption "in our lives or in our institutions".
Spanish former minister José Luis Ábalos arrested in corruption case
Spanish former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, who seven years ago fiercely fought corruption, has himself been arrested and jailed at Soto del Real prison. His arrest is the culmination of a scandal involving kickbacks and has caused a major stir in the country's political circles.
