Podcast Summary: "Hoy por Hoy – El Abierto | Subida de sueldo para Mazón, la distancia PP-Vox y el desconocido Ábalos" (SER Podcast, 02/12/2025)

Overview

This episode of "El Abierto" focuses on four major themes in Spanish current affairs:

• The dismantling of a dangerous neo-Nazi cell in Spain.
• The controversial salary increase for former Valencian President Carlos Mazón after his handling of a catastrophe.
• The growing and complicated distancing and competition between Spain’s conservative Partido Popular (PP) and the far-right Vox.
• Fallout from the Ábalos/Coldo corruption case, its impact on politics, and Pedro Sánchez's broader strategy, especially with respect to Junts. The panel—chiefly Ignacio Escolar, Eduardo Madina, Mario Laurrea, and Mariola Urrea—delivers a nuanced, critical discussion on each theme, with insights from police, journalists, and political figures.

Breakdown of Key Discussion Points

1. Dismantling the Neo-Nazi "The Base" Cell in Spain

Main Points

• Police dismantled Spain’s first cell of “The Base," a global neo-Nazi, supremacist, and terrorist group.
• The cell aimed to provoke a racial war, targeting politicians, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ groups.
• The group functions in small, clandestine cells with military-grade weapons and online recruitment, making detection difficult.

Inspector on Danger and Methods

• "Es peligrosa, lo consideramos peligrosa… porque abrazan la teoría más extrema del supremacismo blanco, que es el aceleracionismo." (Inspector, 03:20)
• Admire jihadist methods for their randomness and goal of maximum impact at lowest cost (04:00).

Recruitment and Radicalization

• Focus on younger, vulnerable men found online; intensive vetting and training in ideology and violence (08:20).
• "Lo tratamos como una subcultura virtual. Por eso es tan difícil su detección." (Inspector, 08:52)

Contextual Commentary

• Panelists stress the significance: Spain, post-ETA, had left political violence behind, but new threats emerge via the Internet (Mario Laurrea, 10:01).
• "Cada vez que vemos justicia como esta…me viene todo el rato a la memoria el extraordinario valor de la democracia…" (Madina, 12:20)

2. The Controversial Salary Increase for Carlos Mazón

Context & Facts

• Carlos Mazón, former President of the Generalitat Valenciana, gets a commission spokesperson role with a €634/month salary bump (~€8,800/year), despite the commission barely meeting.
• His crisis leadership during the Dana catastrophe (with 229 deaths) is under harsh scrutiny.

Political and Social Reaction

• Socialists and Compromís call the move “una vergüenza” (14:27).
• Testimony in parliament highlights Mazón’s absence and lack of responsible leadership during the crisis (15:44).
• Term introduced: “político fardo”—those kept in politics “para que no moleste y para que pueda seguir gobernando su vida” after being discredited (Mariola, 18:03).

Panelists’ Critique

• "Lo último que tienes que hacer es dejarle de diputado y nombrarle algo para cobrar más. Es justo lo último que hay que hacer." (Madina, 21:37)
• Discussion on political culture that rewards failure to prevent exposure to justice (Mario, 22:49): "Esto que los militares hablan de no dejar un solo soldado atrás… aquí te vamos a proteger."

3. PP-Vox Relations: Friction and the Race for the Right-Wing Electorate

Current Dynamics

• Nationally, PP and Vox are publicly clashing even after regional agreements, especially with upcoming elections in Extremadura.
• Vox presses for a motion of no confidence against Sánchez, accusing PP of “inmovilismo” (28:41), while PP refuses to "frustrate" a motion without numbers (29:08).
• Vox conditions support for right-wing governments on anti-immigration and anti-climate policies, already achieved in Valencia.

Effect on Spanish Politics

• The spread of far-right rhetoric and culture warfare blurs lines, aiding Vox's rise—young men now vote 25-40% for Vox (Eduardo, 30:20).
• "Ese discurso sólo le ha servido para alimentar cada vez más a Vox… en España cuando el segundo partido de un bloque está por encima del 20%… hay problemas." (Mario, 33:10)

Consequences

• Polarization sharpens, and PP’s adoption of confrontational and delegitimizing language inadvertently fuels extreme positions and undermines democratic norms (Mariola, 35:59).

4. The Ábalos/Coldo Scandal and Its Political Fallout

Context & Strategy

• PP exploits the Ábalos/Coldo corruption affair, citing unproven allegations—including against Sánchez’s wife—to maintain pressure ahead of elections (38:48).
• PP plans to summon those involved to Senate hearings at strategic moments.
• “El PP va a subir el volumen para que toda España escuche la Traviata sanchista.” (PP, 40:25)

Insightful Panel Reactions

• PP is "chapoteando de gusto en este fango" (Mariola, 41:00), buying into any accusations without verifying facts.
• Mario rebuts: legal and economic specifics invalidate most of these insinuations, and wonders why PP doesn’t base criticism on real issues (42:30).
• Partido Popular’s opposition is defined by amplifying states of crisis rather than offering substantive alternatives (Ángel, 45:04).

5. Sánchez’s Outreach to Junts and the Future of the Legislature

Political Maneuvering

• In two interviews, Sánchez admits not fulfilling all Junts/independentists’ requests but promises new local measures (46:06).
• Junts, unimpressed: “de buenas intenciones está hecho el infierno” (50:17).

Panel Discussion

• Debate whether continued engagement with Junts makes sense. For Madina, “una legislatura sin sentido… perdió la lógica y el propósito" (52:41).
• Mario argues the deals with independentists, despite discomfort, delivered crucial social and economic policy gains (53:34).

6. Other Notable Segments

Feijóo's Counterattack

• Feijóo exploits the Ábalos scandal and the case of Salazar, using strong language: "un guarro no puede ser asesor del presidente del Gobierno" (Feijóo, 60:17).

The ‘King Emeritus’ Video

• Juan Carlos I’s unprompted YouTube message, urging support for Felipe VI, gets immediate Royal House disapproval for its unusual, almost “chusco” tone (62:05).

Economic Note

• Unemployment figures for November: mixed, but Spain at its lowest jobless figures since 2007, especially notable growth in logistics (63:29).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Neo-Nazi Threat:
  "Ellos consideran enemigos a los colectivos antifascistas, el colectivo LGTBIQ, la comunidad judía, la comunidad musulmana, los inmigrantes y también las fuerzas y cuerpos de seguridad y los políticos y gobernantes."
  — Inspector, (04:39)

• On Political Cynicism:
  "Políticos fardo… que cuando abandonan el cargo el partido político al que pertenecen tiene que darle una salida para que no moleste y para que pueda seguir gobernando su vida."
  — Mariola Urrea, (18:03)

• On PP-Vox Polarization:
  “Resulta que son incapaces de gobernar en prácticamente ninguna comunidad autónoma sin contar de una u otra manera con Vox.”
  — Eduardo Madina, (30:20)

• On Democratic Values:
  “Nunca es tarde para reivindicar valores democráticos de convivencia, de igualdad, de ciudadanía, de libertad… siguen teniendo el mismo valor.”
  — Eduardo Madina, (12:35)

• On Junts and Governance:
  "Junts… es leal a los intereses de Junts y concretamente a los intereses personales y procesales de Carles Puigdemont."
  — Mariola Urrea, (56:44)

Important Timestamps

• Dismantling The Base, Inspector interview: 03:08–09:06
• Panel Discussion/Analysis on Neo-Nazi cell: 09:31–13:16
• Salary Increase / Mazón controversy: 13:16–25:25
• Panel’s critique of Mazón/PP response: 18:03–25:25
• The PP–Vox dynamic, first exchange: 27:55–29:41
• Eduardo Madina on Vox’s rise in youth vote: 30:20
• Panel deep dive into opposition tactics: 33:10–38:07
• PP strategy on Ábalos/Coldo: 38:07–45:27
• Sánchez interviews, Junts overture: 45:50–56:44
• Junts’s unimpressed reaction: 50:17
• Feijóo’s statements on Ábalos and Salazar: 59:30–60:55
• King Juan Carlos video reaction: 61:09–62:20
• Economic figures: 63:29

Final Insights

The episode offers a sharp, well-rounded analysis of key issues: threats to democracy both from extremist violence and from weakening of political accountability, the risks of populist and far-right advances, the costs of party self-preservation, and the complex management of minority governments in highly fragmented parliaments.

The conversation is incisive, critical, and sometimes biting, but always rooted in a defense of democratic principles, transparency, and respect for public institutions.