La Moncloa, Spain’s government seat, has been associated with repeated calamity for prime ministers since 1976. Adolfo Suárez resigned amid fears of a military coup. Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo left after an electoral defeat. Felipe González faced an unusually long run of scandals. José María Aznar was marked by disgrace tied to lies about the 2004 Madrid train bombings. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was battered by an economic crisis he failed to foresee and later abandoned his own program. Mariano Rajoy was removed through a no-confidence vote and a corruption ruling. Corruption is portrayed as a persistent shadow over Spanish democracy, now threatening Pedro Sánchez. Even Juan Carlos I’s image was damaged by financial misconduct. Zapatero had avoided major scandal during his time, but later faced consequences, including testimony before a judge.
"Ever since Adolfo Suarez decided in 1976 to establish the headquarters of the first democratic government in 40 years at La Moncloa Palace, no prime minister has left it without calamity or disgrace. Suarez himself was forced to resign amid rumblings of a military coup; Leopoldo CalvoSotelo departed after an electoral defeat for the politicalscience textbooks; Felipe Gonzalez, besieged by an unmatched string of scandals; Jose Maria Aznar, marked by the disgrace over his lies over the 2004 Madrid train bombings; Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, battered by an economic crisis he failed to foresee and that ultimately pushed him to betray his own programme; Mariano Rajoy, ousted by a noconfidence vote and a damning corruption ruling"
"The corruption that clings to Spanish democracy like an inseparable shadow has played a decisive role in the misfortune of almost all of them. It now threatens to blow apart Pedro Sanchez's mandate. The Spanish prime minister is already the secondlongest resident of La Moncloa after Gonzalez. Even the great totem of the transition to democracy, Juan Carlos I the head of state who played a crucial role in restoring democracy after the Franco dictatorship has ended up with his image in tatters because of his passion for filthy lucre."
"Zapatero, during an interview in 2024.Claudio Alvarez Zapatero had escaped that stain. The former leader of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) could boast of being the only prime minister who, after two terms in La Moncloa Palace, had not faced any significant scandal. Neither among his inner circle, nor in his party, nor anything else that concerned him. But in the end, he hasn't escaped that fate even if 15 years had to pass after he left office."
Read at english.elpais.com
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