The RAE dictionary defines corruption in organizations, especially public ones, as "the practice of using the functions and means of those for the economic or other benefit of their managers." This scourge, with a long historical memory, constitutes an important problem for our democracy.
When the right governs, it is refined, organized, white-glove. As an example, the recent Montoro case, former Minister of Finance, the concealment network was such that the investigation remained secret for 7 years and the prosecutor supposedly received pressure not to conclude the investigation. The objective was, nothing less, than to make laws tailored to certain interests.
On the left, this stigma has less sophisticated characters, more crude and poorly organized, almost like looters. It is exemplified by the Tito Berni case, a deputy who, along with other positions of the same moral standing, boasted of having influence in the distribution of European funds, which is completely false. They accepted bribes from businessmen in exchange for benefiting them with their "influence." Since lies have short legs, a businessman, who paid them and got nothing in return, denounced them.
This decay, regardless of its origin, is shameful and execrable. It must be punished with the full force of the law and strong social reproach.
At the other end of the thread are the corrupters, those who offer money and perks in exchange for favors, almost always companies, but with proper names behind them. They usually get away with it, spotless, at most some symbolic dismissal. There is hardly any corporate punishment. Political action is needed, modifying laws to toughen penalties and make the consequences noticeable. Let it hurt their pockets and their public image.
Nor do the social media, with honorable exceptions, have an exemplary performance. They focus on the corrupt, tiptoeing around the corrupters. It seems that what sells is who gets caught and not who benefits. They neglect the most important thing: what to do to prevent events like these from happening again. The 15 measures against corruption proposed by the government have had little dissemination and even less debate. The media have an important responsibility to the citizens. They must be up to the task: analyzing, criticizing and giving voice to those who propose solutions to the problem. They should differentiate themselves from the gossip press in some way.
In Europe, transparency laws are more demanding than Spanish ones and legal and social punishments are harsher. There we have a guideline to follow.
But also the institutional relations between the two parties called to govern leave much to be desired. Instead of engaging in shameful brawls - with insults and personal disqualifications included - that we see every time there is a plenary session in the Courts, they should focus on finding and agreeing on solutions to state issues like this one. The spectacle could not be more deplorable. With these ways, they are sowing disaffection to politics and seriously eroding the institutions, preparing the ground for apostles of simplistic solutions to complex problems, those who blame all the evils on immigration.
The answer to this problem is in us, ordinary citizens. Protesting when things are not done well and demanding measures, punishing corruption and not showing ourselves docile or compliant. We cannot continue with the current dynamic, which leads nowhere. The key is to exercise our democratic rights: massive citizen participation, positive criticism and, above all, proposing solutions.
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