Hoy por Hoy — Las 7 de Hoy por Hoy | Ábalos pasa al ataque contra el Gobierno (Nov 27, 2025)

SER Podcast | Host: Àngels Barceló

Brief Overview

This episode centers on a politically charged day in Spain, with three primary stories taking the spotlight: former minister José Luis Ábalos's legal predicament and stark accusations against the government; the predicted parliamentary defeat for Pedro Sánchez's administration on deficit rules; and the decisive day for the political future of the Generalitat Valenciana. The show also traverses international news, judicial dramas, social movements, and cultural spotlights, always maintaining the critical, contextualized analysis Hoy por Hoy is known for.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ábalos and His Explosive Turn Against the Government

• Legal Context: The Supreme Court convenes to decide on pretrial detention for José Luis Ábalos, ex-minister and close former Sánchez ally, with prosecutors seeking 24 years in prison.
• Ábalos’s New Accusations (00:41–01:15):
  • He now claims direct knowledge of a 2018 meeting between Pedro Sánchez and Arnaldo Otegi to negotiate the censure motion—a claim he denied awareness of "just days ago."
  • Quote: "Dice que fuentes presenciales le confirman que Sánchez y Arnaldo Otegi se reunieron en 2018 para negociar la moción de censura. Sánchez y Otegi lo niegan y hace solo unos días Ábalos dijo que él de eso no sabía nada." (Political Analyst, 01:15)
• PSOE Response (01:48): María Jesús Montero, Vice President, is "surprised" by Ábalos's shift, and the PSOE claims they fear nothing he could reveal.
• Further Attacks (02:01): Ábalos criticizes Yolanda Díaz regarding housing privileges and alleged misconduct in her ministry.

2. Government Under Pressure: Deficit Vote and Scandals (02:12–03:06)

• Parliamentary Tension: The government faces probable defeat in Congress over deficit targets—a challenge framed as a critical day for Sánchez's stability.
• Corruption Updates (02:21):
  • Civil Guard discovers over €7,000 in cash labeled “Este dinero es de Javier Aureliano” in a corruption probe tied to the Popular Party.
  • The same investigation brings to light new evidence of cash handling, luxury items, and public contract irregularities.

3. International Overview

• United States Shooting (03:06–03:31):
  • Donald Trump publicly blames President Biden for attacks on National Guard members, connecting immigration policy to the incident.
  • Shooter identified as an Afghan citizen who arrived in 2021.
• Hong Kong Fire Disaster (03:31–03:55):
  • Massive residential fire leaves at least 44 dead and nearly 280 missing; three men are arrested.
• Spanish Royal Interview (04:01):
  • King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, in French television promotion for his book, claims "no remorse" but admits he'd now act "with more care".
  • Quote: “Remords, no muy claro. Cuando el periodista le preguntaba si se arrepiente de algo, Juan Carlos dice que no tiene remordimientos pero sí reconoce que ahora haría las cosas con más cuidado.” (Political Analyst, 04:05)

4. Political Transition in the Generalitat Valenciana (04:24–05:40)

• Juanfran Pérez Llorca’s Investiture (04:40):
  • PP requires Vox’s formal endorsement (13 votes) for majority. Vox delays decision until after Perez Llorca's speech at 11:00.
• End of Mazón Era (04:57):
  • Scrutiny mounts around ex-president Carlos Mazón's actions during a tragic event that led to 229 deaths, including discrepancies about his whereabouts.
  • Quote: "Desde la puerta del parking hasta el Palau de la Janeta, a donde vine andando en un asunto que más parece de Sálvame que de otra cosa." (Carlos Mazón, 05:29)

5. Judiciary in Focus: Supreme Court and Conflicts of Interest (06:11–07:50)

• Condena al Fiscal General (06:11):
  • Revelations that Supreme Court Judge Antonio del Moral, who condemned the former Attorney General, also supervised the doctoral thesis of the lawyer involved in the case, raising concerns about impartiality.
  • Debate emerges about whether director/doctoral student relationships mandate judicial recusal.
  • Quote: “La Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial establece la amistad manifiesta como causa de abstención para los jueces. Catedráticos consultados... establecen una relación cualificada de confianza porque tu carrera profesional depende de él.” (07:22)

6. Anticorruption & Science

• CNIO Under Scrutiny (08:11):
  • Prosecutors investigate alleged €20 million embezzlement by an ex-manager, angering the scientific community over the reputational hit.
  • Researchers unify: “No permitiremos que prácticas ajenas a la ciencia enturbien nuestra labor ni la misión que nos mueve.” (Researcher Manifesto, 09:03)

7. Society & Labor

• Public Sector Wage Accord (09:20):
  • Government and unions reach a deal for public worker pay: up 11% by 2028, with incremental increases each year.
  • Main union (Comisiones Obreras) withholds signature pending further review.
• University Strike in Madrid (09:40):
  • Second and final strike day. Both students and staff denounce persistent underfunding, deteriorating infrastructure, and declining educational quality.
  • Student Testimony: “Hay agujeros, a veces se caen trozos de los azulejos de la pared... cada día recortes en todos lados." (Reporter, 09:57)

8. Social Policies and Rural News

• Pharmacies & Gender Violence Detection (10:53):
  • Over 14,000 pharmacies now serve as safe spaces and “early detectors” for victims, especially crucial in rural areas.
  • Anonymity and discretion highlighted: If victims resist formal complaints, pharmacies can anonymously alert authorities.
  • Jesús Aguilar (11:33): "Más de la mitad de las farmacias españolas participan ya en este protocolo."
• Wildlife in Castilla-La Mancha (12:02):
  • Lynx roaming towns prompts both wonder and compensation for lost livestock.
  • Mayor Fátima Ginés: “Es novedoso el ver estos animales, cómo han perdido la vergüenza, digámoslo así, de pasar el miedo, de pasar a lo que es la población." (12:24)

9. Culture, Community, and Urban News

• Christmas Lights in San Sebastián (12:56):
  • Iñaki Gabilondo given the honor of inaugurating lights, marking a milestone for both the city and the centenary of Radio San Sebastián.
• Historic Convents in Toledo (13:34):
  • Adaptive reuse to attract residents and renew historic districts.
• Bell Noise Debate in Soraluce, Guipúzcoa (14:06):
  • Community split between tradition and noise regulation, with possible legal ramifications.
  • Local Resident (14:32): “Puedo entender que haya a quien le afecten, pero a mí incluso me gusta a la noche, cuando me despierto y suenan las campanas, digo uy, son las cuatro."

10. Cultural Recommendation: "Flores para Antonio" (15:14–15:57)

• Documentary Premiere:
  • Focus on actress Alba Flores’s personal process in confronting her father Antonio Flores’s legacy and the intergenerational trauma and creativity in her family.
  • The doc interweaves never-seen footage and candid interviews, exploring themes of fame, illness, art, and reconciliation.
  • Alba Flores (15:38): “Creo que, también, esto forma parte de ese proceso de intentar comprender... comprenderle a él, comprender su manera de vivir y su manera de morir.”

Memorable Quotes

• On changing strategies:
  “Me extrañaría que él ahora estuviera instalado en la mentira... pero me extraña que diga esto.”
  — Field Reporter, on Ábalos (01:35)

• About the lynxes roaming town:
  “Es novedoso el ver estos animales... cómo han perdido la vergüenza de pasar a lo que es la población.”
  — Fátima Ginés, Alcaldesa (12:24)

• On family, fame, and understanding loss:
  "Esto forma parte de ese proceso de intentar comprender... su manera de vivir y su manera de morir."
  — Alba Flores, on her father Antonio (15:38)

• On city noise & tradition:
  "A mí incluso me gusta a la noche, cuando me despierto y suenan las campanas, digo uy, son las cuatro."
  — Local resident in Soraluce (14:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:41] — Opening: Ábalos’s legal trouble and attacks on the government
• [02:21] — Cash corruption scandal in Almería
• [03:06] — US shooting and Hong Kong fire
• [04:24] — Political handover in the Comunidad Valenciana
• [06:11] — Supreme Court, judicial impartiality concerns
• [08:11] — Anticorruption investigates the CNIO
• [09:20] — Public sector wage agreement
• [09:40] — Madrid university strike
• [10:53] — Pharmacies combating gender violence
• [12:02] — Wildlife in Castilla-La Mancha
• [13:34] — Historic convents to urban housing
• [14:06] — Bell noise controversy in Guipúzcoa
• [15:14] — Documentary: "Flores para Antonio"

Tone and Style

The episode flows in the signature Hoy por Hoy style: incisive, agile, and rigorously factual, while allowing voices of both officialdom and everyday people. Exchanges are measured but at times tinged with irony or exasperation when facing political spectacle (“asunto que más parece de Sálvame”), and always attentive to the social dimension behind the news.

For listeners or readers who missed the episode, this summary encapsulates the urgent and multifaceted pulse of political and social Spain on a day brimming with developments, revelations, and cultural notes.