An important rule in life is to never pick a fight with journalists ("don't pick fights with those who buy ink by the barrel"). I have only occasionally failed it. But there is no way to defend the article that @BarneyJopson, the new @FT Spain correspondent, wrote about the Spanish prime minister's judicial troubles, accusing the judiciary (the same judiciary who brought down Rajoy's PP government in 2018) of lawfare; insinuating that Sanchez is the victim of a rightwing conspiracy; and describing him as a champion of the ‘independence of judges and the sanctity of the rule of law in Spain during his nearly seven years in power’ Today, a second Secretary of Organization (no. 3 position) of the Socialist party in Spain, and member of the inner circle of Sánchez resigned today, after the anticorruption unit of the Spanish police (Unidad Central Operativa) revealed he was the ‘cash manager’ of a scheme that moved about €620,000 in kickbacks from Acciona and other builders to former minister and socialist party Secretary General José Luis Ábalos and his aide Koldo García. The first one, J.L. Ábalos, simultaneously minister of infrastructure, is separately accused of giving a job in two Spanish public companies (Ineco y Tragsatec) to an escort he was in a long term relationship with, and letting his aide Koldo García steer about €54 million in no-bid pandemic mask contracts to friendly firms at inflated prices, pocketing cash kickbacks. Wiretaps and a paper trail tie Ábalos to the deal. Sanchez is surrounded by crooks. When investigated, he claims to be the victim of a vast political conspiracy, and tries to change the process for appointing judges. Anywhere else, he would be seen as a huge threat to the rule of law. But because he is progressive, good looking, and (unlike his predecessors) speaks English, papers like the @FT lose their ability to think critically and mindlessly repeat his insane accusations.

Politico Playbook today not mincing words about the unacceptable agreement reached by Sanchez in Spain, following on Orban's footsteps. The rule of law is seriously endangered in Spain.