Since Spain regained democracy in 1978, the hope for a fairer, more modern, and transparent country has been repeatedly shaken by the long shadow of corruption. And not just occasional or anecdotal corruption—but systemic corruption, deeply rooted in the relationship between political power and the business world, especially in infrastructure and construction.
From Marbella to Madrid, from Andalusia to Catalonia, the same patterns have repeated for over four decades: tailor-made rezoning plans, public contracts riddled with irregularities, 3% kickbacks, multimillion-euro commissions hidden in agreements, rigged tenders, and clientelist networks that have turned urban development and public works into fertile ground for legalized looting.
From democracy to ditches: how did we get here?
Cases like Malaya, Púnica, the ERE scandal, the Pujol affair, or the recent Cerdán/Koldo scandal show us a system where public funds are often not managed for the common good, but for private gain. Politicians—who should serve the people—have frequently been accomplices, or even protagonists, in schemes with ruthless businesspeople who saw public construction as a guaranteed source of profit via commissions.
The figures are staggering: the ERE case alone involved more than €600 million in misused public funds. The infamous 3% or 5% commission fees were so normalized they were part of the budget. Even worse, as of 2025, only 7% of public contracts in Spain undergo inspection.
This isn’t a technical flaw—It’s a moral illness
The issue is not just legal. It’s ethical. It’s cultural. It’s political. And it’s economic.
Because the root of the problem isn’t just corrupt politicians. It’s an economic model based on how much is earned, not how it is earned. A model where economic gain justifies any means. A model where accountability is cosmetic—and where contractors continue to operate even after funding illegal schemes.
Purpose-less capitalism has too often turned urban development into a power game driven by greed. Instead of building sustainable cities, we’ve built unsustainable relationships between the public and private sectors.
A purpose-driven economy: the only way forward
In the face of this, we must urgently build a purpose-driven economy—one where the key isn’t just profitability, but the integrity of the entire economic process.
It’s no longer enough to know how much a company earns. The real question we should ask as a society is: How is that money earned? At what cost? With what values?
Introducing ethical, social, and environmental criteria into public tenders, radical transparency in procurement, civic oversight of public funds, and genuine (not cosmetic) accountability are all essential steps.
The European Union has taken some steps in this direction with the Next Generation funds. But it’s up to national governments—and citizens—to make sure that money doesn’t end up feeding the same old clientelist networks.
Political regeneration means changing the culture, not just the faces
Regeneration isn’t swapping one party for another. It’s not replacing one set of corrupt officials with another. It’s about changing the political culture from within. It’s about building institutions where public service isn’t a fast track to personal wealth, but a radical commitment to the common good.
Spain urgently needs solid and independent watchdog agencies, integrity commissions with real power, meaningful sanctions for companies involved in corruption, and a political education that trains future leaders in democratic values—not just survival tactics.
A new social contract based on the “how”
The economy of the future will be ethical—or it will fail. Either we restructure the economy around purpose-driven values—where every public euro is invested with measurable positive impact—or we’ll keep digging physical and moral trenches that pull us further from a truly just society.
This isn’t just about denouncing corruption. It’s about demanding better. As citizens, we must demand greater transparency, bolder politics, and more responsible companies. Because every trench dug for greed leaves a scar on the future we pass on to the next generation.
It’s time for the how to matter more than the how much.
Signed:
A citizen tired of seeing how too often the concrete of this country gets mixed with the rot of impunity.