Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – El Abierto

Episode: El 'modus' Santos Cerdán y los corruptos de las mascarillas
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Ángeles Barceló
Panelists: Cristina Monge, Eduardo Madina, Joan Subirats, Guillermo Lerma

Overview:

This episode of "El Abierto" dives into the explosive revelations from the Guardia Civil’s UCO report on alleged corruption linked to Santos Cerdán, former PSOE Organization Secretary, and the broader pattern of corruption infecting both major political parties in Spain. The hosts and guests analyze not just the specifics of the Cerdán case—detailing alleged kickbacks, family involvement, and modus operandi—but make broader reflections on corruption during the pandemic, public trust, and the political fallout for both PSOE and PP, especially as new scandals erupt, such as the mask scheme in Almería.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Santos Cerdán Scandal: Anatomy of a Corruption Case

[00:26-06:15]

• Summary of UCO's Findings:
  Detailed breakdown of Cerdán's alleged financial engineering—using companies like Servinábar to channel 2% commissions (mordidas) from public works contracts granted to ACCIONA, beginning before Cerdán's rise in party hierarchy.
  • "La clave, Ángel, es la participación de Santos Cerdán en Servinábar... cobrándoselos a ACCIONA." – Eduardo Madina [02:17]
• Family Connections & Lifestyle:
  Family members were allegedly employed or benefited from Servinábar, with expenses charged to the company including vacations and luxury goods. The scheme was sophisticated, avoiding ostentation that could draw attention.
  • "Todo el entorno familiar se benefició de la situación... están dando la nota con los gastos de la tarjeta de empresa." – Eduardo Madina [04:16]
• Modus Operandi—Discretion and Control:
  Cerdán reportedly used strict operational secrecy: meetings with phones off, using Signal instead of trackable communication, and living a relatively modest lifestyle to avoid attention.
  • "Santos Cerdán empleaba extraordinarias medidas de reuniones con móviles apagados, comunicaciones y llamadas a través de Signal..." – Eduardo Madina [16:09]

2. Political and Systemic Fallouts

[06:15–14:01]

• Implications for PSOE:
  The panel questions how such a figure rose to prominence and how internal controls failed, highlighting the deep impact on party credibility.
  • "¿Es posible que un número dos de una organización como el PSOE hayan hecho lo que vamos conociendo... sin que la organización en su conjunto supiera nada?" – Cristina Monge [07:07]
• Historical Trust Issues:
  References made to earlier scandals (Gürtel, pandemic procurement) underline that for the public, corruption often feels systemic and recurrent, further eroding trust in institutions.
  • "La corrupción en realidad jamás se fue. Puede instalarse en la sociedad." – Cristina Monge [08:07]

3. Session de Control: Political Theatre Unfolds

[15:45–36:55]

• Feijóo vs. Sánchez—Parliament Showdown:
  Opposition leader Feijóo uses the Cerdán scandal to attack the government, implying systemic corruption, while Sánchez deflects to economic achievements and asserts "tolerancia cero" for corruption—though avoiding direct answers on party accountability.
  • "La conclusión le para sacar algo adelante hay que reservarle una mordida del 2% al Partido Socialista Obrero español." – Alberto Núñez Feijóo [29:15]
  • "Este Gobierno garantiza... estabilidad... resultados... Tolerancia cero frente a la corrupción." – Pedro Sánchez [30:43]
• Panel Reaction:
  Panelists note the evasiveness and standard playbook on display—President Sánchez relying on economic data and indirect attacks on the opposition ("y tú más"), rather than addressing the gravity of the internal corruption or offering reforms.

4. Impact on Political Allies and Wider System

[36:55–44:34]

• Allies’ Dilemmas and the Shadow of Vox:
  The panel underscores the discomfort growing among government partners and the lack of real alternatives, given the specter of Vox in any alternative coalition.
  • "No hay alternativa posible, porque esa alternativa pasa por cuestionar la democracia." – Ángeles Barceló [43:06]
• Systemic Failure and the "Y tú más":
  Consensus emerges that both major parties’ penchant for mutual accusations ("y tú más") benefits anti-establishment, far-right forces—ultimately endangering the democratic system itself.

5. Corruption Beyond PSOE: The Almería Mask Case

[44:34–54:11]

• Parallel Scandal in the PP:
  Explosive details of a new mask procurement corruption case in Almería surface, involving the PP provincial leadership and local officials, with evidence gathered via narcotrafficking investigations.
  • "Le pillaron y entonces recoge 120.000 euros en efectivo que su sobrino había ocultado en la funda de una almohada. Es que además todo es tan cutre..." – Pedro Jiménez [45:38]
  • "Cuando se hacen negocios con políticos hay muchas manos de por medio." – Cited intercept [46:16]
• Pattern Recognition:
  Both panelists and reporters tie together the wave of 'corona-corruption' cases—Ayuso’s brother, Madrid’s "pelotazo," the Coldo/Ábalos schemes—to a pattern of predation during crisis, questioning the adequacy of oversight and the moral fabric exposed.

6. Public Trust and Democratic Fatigue

[57:38–61:40]

• Cultural Roots and Systemic Weakness:
  Reflection on why in moments of crisis (pandemic) people within the public administration succumbed to personal greed, even as others sacrificed everything.
  • "Uno quiere imaginar... quienes están en el entramado que toman decisiones para cuidarnos, va a buscar cómo ayudarnos. Y... había dentro cabecitas pensando en cómo hacer negocio con el dolor ajeno." – Eduardo Madina [57:38]
• "¿Conoces a alguien?"—Endemic Cronyism:
  Deeper analysis into a Spanish conception of public office as an opportunity for personal enrichment, with a call for stricter enforcement and cultural change.

7. Political Calculus and the Rise of Vox

[61:40–65:51]

• Case Study: Comunidad Valenciana and Vox's Leverage:
  As the PP seeks to avoid elections, they increasingly depend on concessions to Vox—in the process, normalizing extremism and climate denialism.
  • "Yo creo que aceptará todo y subirá 2 más 2 de margen por si a Vox no se le ocurren." – Cristina Monge [63:56]
• Broader Political Risk:
  Discussion expands to warn of democratic backsliding, as mainstream parties’ scandals and miopic blame games create fertile ground for anti-system forces.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Cerdán Modus Operandi:
  "Estaba todo diseñado desde el principio... y trabaja con absoluta discreción. Aparentemente engañando a todos porque la sorpresa y la indignación… ha sido máxima." – Eduardo Madina [17:06]

• Systemic Reflection:
  "La corrupción en realidad jamás se fue." – Cristina Monge [08:07]

• On Political Response:
  "Hay dos planos... la reacción en el momento... el Partido Socialista levantó un muro, expulsó, hizo lo que tenía que hacer... la segunda parte es contestar a la pregunta ¿Cómo ha sido esto posible? Y eso es lo que todavía nos falta." – Ángeles Barceló [23:58]

• On Society’s Trust:
  "En el corazón de las tinieblas de aquellos días tan feos y tan dramáticos, uno quiere pensar que quienes están en el entramado que toman decisiones para cuidarnos, va a buscar cómo ayudarnos. Y... había dentro cabecitas pensando en cómo hacer negocio con el dolor ajeno." – Eduardo Madina [57:38]

• Democratic Warning:
  "Si lo institucionalizado y sistémico de la gobernanza democrática no funciona... busquemos una alternativa fuera de lo institucionalizado... esas alternativas aparecen... con fenómenos políticos muy parecidos. Lo hemos visto en Brasil, Estados Unidos, Francia..." – Eduardo Madina [47:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start | Description | |------------------------------------------------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Intro and context setting | 00:26 | Political “heat” and why this scandal matters | | Detailed breakdown of Cerdán's alleged scheme | 02:08 | How the kickbacks worked and family involvement | | Discussion on systemic corruption | 07:07 | Public trust, historical context, why institutions repeatedly fail | | Parliament’s control session—Sánchez vs Feijóo | 28:30 | Live session, direct accusations, avoidance, economic boasting, “y tú más” dynamic | | Debate on party accountability | 36:55 | Pressure on PSOE, questions of internal controls and ethical standards | | Political consequences, Vox and instability | 43:06 | Rising support for the far right due to bipartisan corruption and lack of alternatives | | Mask procurement scandals round-up | 54:12 | Summary of major cases from PP & PSOE stemming from pandemic contracts | | Cultural reflection on public office | 61:40 | "¿Conoces a alguien?" endemic cronyism and system weaknesses | | Vox leverage in Valencia and political risk | 62:21 | PP’s reliance on Vox, normalization of denialist/ultra-right positions | | Reflections on systemic risk to democracy | 65:13 | Closing discussion of the institutions’ crisis and the lessons to draw |

Summary Takeaways

• Cerdán’s case is both shocking for its sophistication and disappointing for the ease with which it allegedly unfolded in the heart of Spain’s governing party.
• Systemic corruption is not contained to one party—the PP faces its own new scandal in Almería, confirming public fears that “everyone does it.”
• Public trust continues to erode as the same patterns of denial, blame-shifting, and lack of full accountability play out—directly fueling the ascendancy of anti-system parties like Vox.
• Political ‘theatre’ in Parliament offers few answers, as leaders lean on macroeconomic data or mutual accusations, rather than engaging with the root causes or pursuing genuine reforms.
• Panel consensus: Without cultural and institutional change, plus real consequences for corruption, Spain’s democracy faces a perilous future.

This episode serves as a trenchant critique not only of individual corruption cases, but of the mechanisms and political behavior that allow such scandals to persist and endanger public faith in democracy.