Rajoy, resign, the Spanish people cry (10 images)
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Cafebabel ENG (NS)It was El Pais which came out with the scoop on 31 January: the Spanish national newspaper published ledgers showing alleged secret payments to members of the governing conservative 'popular party' (PP), including the prime minister since November 2011, Mariano Rajoy. The scandal is nicknamed after the party's former treasurer, Luis Barcenas, who wrote the documents. In a public statement in Berlin on 3 February, where he was meeting chancellor Angela Merkel, Rajoy claimed that the allegations about a slush fund were false 'except for a few bits' and that he earned more money when he worked as a property and land registrar. Over one million people signed a petition at Change.org calling for his resignation, members of a society which has been suffering from strict austerity measures. Images courtesy of the Barcelona-based collective © GroundPress
This two-decade black money scheme has affected other political factions too in Spain (Image: © GroundPress)
The Spanish unemployment rate is at 26%. Against a backdrop of precarity, it understandably irritates the populace to hear of politicians taking advantage of a poor climate (Image: © GroundPress)
15 May 2011 marked the day when citizens started to fight back against their politicians. The Bárcenas case has pushed them to get out on the streets again and ask for Mariano Rajoy's resignation - though he vowed he would not resign, and said his documents would be made public to prove he was not part of a dirty plan (Image: © GroundPress)
Mongolia satirical magazine front cover 'special black edition on corruption' (Image: © GroundPress)
An online petition was followed by a unique form of protest inspired by Argentinians, called the escrache, which takes place in front of politicians homes; in Spanish cities, it was in front of PP party offices (Image: © GroundPress)
The corruption scandal has also implicated the autonomous government of Catalonia; the Catalan democratic union are said to have enjoyed secret cash payments too (Image: © GroundPress)
'Never, ever have I received or handed out black money,' Rajoy stated on 3 February. The documents he subsequently made transparent didn't betray him either (Image: © GroundPress)
21,8% of Spanish citizens live below the poverty line; this protester plays on the Popular Party initials, PP (Image: © GroundPress)
Late on 1 February, an assembly gathers at plaza de Sant Jaumes in Barcelona to camp on the square (Image: © GroundPress)
Thus, the spirit of 15-M returns to plaza de Cataluña in Barcelona (Image: © GroundPress)
Translated from Del #quesevayantodos al “escrache”: se busca la dimisión de Rajoy