The vice-president of the European Commission responsible for evaluating European funds and approving the Spanish Government's plan, Valdis Dombrovskis, has mobilized to curb the scope of the mission of the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament posted to Madrid. In line with the First Vice President of the Government, Nadia Calviño, with whom she maintains a close relationship, she has spoken in person with leaders of the European People's Party and opposition MEPs to ask them to avoid a critical tone of the mission, as confirmed to this daily sources from the leadership of this political force in Brussels who define their attitude as "pressure".
In the community Executive they do not deny Dombrovskis' contacts, but they assure that the official line is in support of the parliamentary mission and any initiative in favor of "transparency."
In addition, a member of Dombrovskis's team who is a qualified technician and regular contact for Calviño's team in the Commission, Mirzha de Manuel, has made calls to parliamentarians in the same vein.
This is how MEPs contacted by these positions from the Community Executive who request anonymity and go beyond what was published by this newspaper last Monday regarding pressure from the Government on those appearing and participating in the parliamentary commission specified to EL MUNDO. The PP MEP participating in the mission, Isabel Benjumea, confirmed that day on Onda Cero that she had received calls that she considered inappropriate.
Dombrovskis is a member of the European People's Party and in his conversations he is concerned about the harshness of the president of the Committee on Budgetary Control, Monika Hohlmeier, who is a German MEP from this same political force.
The Latvian commissioner met in person with the chairman of the European People's Party and the parliamentary group, Manfred Weber. He also spoke with Vice President Siegfried Muresan, and expressed his concern about the damage that a critical report by Hohlmeier on the work of the European Commission after the visit to Spain, which is one of the main receivers.
Sources familiar with the contacts assure EL MUNDO that Weber supported Hohlmeier's work and replied to Dombrovskis that "budgetary control is an important prerogative of the European Parliament and that the European Commission should be more critical of the way in which the budgets are being executed." money". Weber himself already told this newspaper last year that the Community Executive should have already issued a "yellow card to Pedro Sánchez."
When asked by this newspaper, an official spokesman for the European Commission frames these conversations as normal. "Contact between the EU institutions is a regular element of the EU's inter-institutional engagement, including in relation to the main elements of the Communication on Recovery Ease and Resilience and the ongoing discharge procedure that Parliament European is currently taking place'. And he emphatically adds: «The European Commission supports any initiative that increases transparency on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, including the mission currently underway in Madrid. We will continue to support these initiatives in line with the Facility's transparency requirements."
However, sources from the top of the PPE consulted criticize Dombrovskis' actions by assuming an interference of the executive power in the legislature. "It is difficult to understand that a commissioner has an interest in not monitoring the use of funds," they reproach. "Receiving pressure from the Commission before starting a mission of the European Parliament to limit the scope of an audit is anything but normal."
For his part, the Spanish head of the EPP, Esteban González Pons, described this action on his Twitter account as "incomprehensible". Dombrovksis has approved the third payment to Spain of European funds after a new positive examination of compliance with commitments, despite the doubts of other institutions such as the Court of Auditors of the EU and Hohlmeier itself.
They are also adopting a positive tone appearing from the private sector before the Commission of Budgetary Control of the Eurocámara. This Tuesday was the turn of various associations and consultants. Among those who made a favorable assessment of the management of the funds in Spain are some who admit to this newspaper, on request for anonymity, pressure from the Government not to be critical of MEPs.
However, the representative of the self-employed association, Celia Ferrero, and of the Spanish Banking Association, María Abascal, did highlight before the mission, according to sources consulted, that the Government had not counted on their contributions. The AEB representative added that she is confident that this will change in the so-called addendum to European funds. It is the second phase in which the Government requests 94,300 million, of which the bulk are loans and no longer subsidies as in the first request.
For her part, the person in charge of the funds at the Ministry of Finance, Mercedes Caballero, tried to allay Hohlmeier's concern about the reduction in the crime of embezzlement, explaining in detail the Minerva and Coffee control systems put in place to prevent fraud in the distribution. She of the latter she admitted that it is not fully operational, according to attendees consulted.
In addition to meeting with the ministers of Finance, María Jesús Montero, and of Inclusion, José Luis Escrivá, the parliamentary mission summoned on Tuesday the representatives of digital associations and the leader of the UGT, Mariano Hoya. Subsequently, in addition to the aforementioned Abascal, the directors of the EY consultants, María Jesús Escobar, and of PwC, Silvia Lacarra, were summoned.
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