Monólogo de Alsina: "Zapatero contra Hacienda"

The host of Más de uno has expressed his doubts about why the former Prime Minister doesn't want the Tax Agency to audit his income and assets if everything is in order. #taxation #spain #psoe https://www.ondacero.es/programas/mas... Let me tell you a story, a very short one, you'll see. He almost lived to be one hundred. He died at nearly ninety-eight in the arms of his fourth wife, leaving his heir, almost fifty, to enjoy the noble title for a mere seventeen years. He, the deceased, had enjoyed it for almost forty. An orphan since the age of six, shy, studious, a keen observer, and quick-witted, Bertrand Russell, the third Earl Russell, cultivated mathematics, philosophy, political thought, pacifist activism, rational and reflective leftism, non-belligerent atheism, and the defense of equality—that is, the rejection of class privileges. A Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, he was undoubtedly one of the most prolific and influential intellectuals of his time (a long time, a life spanning almost a century). But one day he received a letter at his home, opened it (with his silver letter opener, I suppose), began to read it, and was greatly displeased. The letter was sent by a journalist who first introduced himself and then requested an interview. He made sure to mention all the merits of the potential interviewee and the immense privilege it would be to speak with him personally. But… in the letter's salutation, he had overlooked a key element: he addressed him as Mr. Russell, unintentionally stripping him of his illustrious status as an earl. He responded to the journalist with such a dismissive tone that the journalist must have been completely taken aback. What a presumptuous fellow, he must have thought, what a classist fellow, so full of himself with his noble titles. Espinosa Infante recounts this incident in 'The Treasure Map,' Part Three, where he warns his son about the disappointments that those he considers great men will bring him. "The time will come," he tells him, "when you discover their flaws. Because one can be heroic in the face of some challenges and behave like a wretch in others." "There is no special morality for them; they cannot claim to have a license to break the rules and be admired even more for it. Emile Zola, the courageous defender of Dreyfus, is also considered a moral authority, and three years earlier he had cowardly stood idly by when Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for being homosexual." The history of nations is filled with misery, more than with great men. Today marks fifty days since the UDEF agents ordered the opening of the safe in José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's office. Fifty days since that frantic morning when the former Prime Minister of Spain had to cancel his schedule, write a statement, go out into his garden, and record a video to counter the suspicion of illicit business dealings that had just been thrust upon him by Judge Calama's indictment. Fifty days later, Zapatero has neither spoken to the media nor cooperated with the Justice system on the matter in which he could have most easily cooperated by now: his jewelry. As of July 8th, the president still refuses to acknowledge that he owns the jewelry and continues to provide no information whatsoever about its age, origin, or value. In terms of transparency, Zapatero is completely nonexistent. He requested a postponement of his testimony from the judge, and it was granted. On the day of his testimony, he asked for more time to answer questions about the jewelry, and it was granted. That deadline expired days ago, and everything remains the same. With two, or perhaps three, differences: Second, the Tax Agency has opened an investigation into the Zapatero family's tax obligations (or lack thereof) between 2021 and 2024. This includes their income, declared assets, and net worth. And third, Zapatero has now lashed out at the Tax Agency, which also depends on the government he so closely supports (and vice versa), for having inspected him arbitrarily, he says—unilaterally and capriciously—and in open conflict with the ongoing criminal proceedings. In other words, Zapatero sees bad faith on the part of the Tax Agency, a government body, and is asking the judge to order it to immediately cease the tax audit. It's understandable that his lawyer prefers the Tax Agency to remain silent and that he's pulling every string he can to defend his client, but such a request inevitably raises the question of what problem the Zapateros have with the Tax Agency auditing them and requesting documents.