La Moncloa changes strategy on messages between Pedro Sánchez and Ábalos

La Moncloa has stopped trying to downplay the publication of some messages exchanged between President Pedro Sánchez and José Luis Ábalos. The former minister has admitted that he authorized their release in the newspaper El Mundo.

"When the media outlet that published them asked me to verify the 2023 WhatsApp messages, I didn't oppose their publication because I understand they are of a positive nature. I recognize them as such because they make it clear and show that the argument used by the right and its allied media, that the president was hiding the reasons for my dismissal due to my management as minister, is not true," Ábalos acknowledged.Ábalos.

"He's a cornered cat"

Sources close to Ferraz indicate that "Ábalos is leaking messages to send a warning to the Government. He won't fall alone if PSOE doesn't throw him a lifeline. Now he's like a cornered cat, having had a lot of power in the party and in La Moncloa. He wanted to show the tip of the cape."

According to the messages, Sánchez called the former Extremaduran president Guillermo Fernández Vara "unpresentable." And "birdbrain" to the Defense Minister Margarita Robles. Initially, La Moncloa tried to downplay the published information. But in recent hours, there has been a call for PSOE leaders to criticize the lack of ethics in publishing private communications.

Ábalos has turned a deaf ear and admitted that up to three publishers have shown interest in his political memoirs. The Valencian denies that this announcement is a veiled threat toward his former bench colleagues.

Tension

The recent political crisis surrounding José Luis Ábalos has sparked a new focus of tension within the core of PSOE and, especially, in President Pedro Sánchez's circle. As judicial and media investigations related to the so-called "Koldo case" progress, anxiety grows in La Moncloa and Ferraz. They do so due to the possible publication of private messages exchanged between the Prime Minister and his former Transport Minister.

The opposition believes they could shed light on the extent of Sánchez's knowledge about his former collaborator's actions. But other voices suggest that the tone of the messages shows "that there was no camaraderie from Sánchez toward Ábalos. At least in relation to the latter's alleged businesses."

Rise and fall of Ábalos

José Luis Ábalos was one of President Pedro Sánchez's most loyal lieutenants on his path to the general secretariat of PSOE and, subsequently, to La Moncloa. His role as Organization Secretary was crucial in consolidating control of the party apparatus and accessing the Government. His management at the head of the Ministry of Transport during the pandemic gave him notable visibility.

However, his departure from the Government in July 2021 was as sudden as it was enigmatic. Although it was officially framed as a cabinet reshuffle, rumors of internal tensions have circulated since then. Also, suspicions surrounding his closest circle. Especially related to emergency contracts signed during the health crisis. With the arrest of Koldo García, Ábalos's advisor and right-hand man, those suspicions took judicial form, which has caused a ripple effect threatening to reach the heart of the Government.

In La Moncloa, meanwhile, the issue is handled discreetly. But with the awareness that any perception of opacity or double standards in managing the case could seriously erode Sánchez's image even among his most loyal supporters.

An increasingly tense context

The tension in PSOE is not explained solely by the fear of message publication. The Ábalos case has reopened internal wounds. It has reactivated 'susanista' currents questioning the lack of internal controls and the excessive concentration of power in the president's closest circle. Some voices in the party believe that the leadership acted late in distancing itself from Ábalos.

The opposition, especially the PP, has made this issue one of its most persistent attack points. The 'popular' very tainted by corruption in recent years, insist that PSOE hasn't completely broken with past practices. Vox, meanwhile, has intensified parliamentary and media pressure to demand direct explanations from the president.

The management of the Ábalos case has become a test of resilience for President Pedro Sánchez. The Prime Minister has had to face crises of all kinds. But this time he faces a closer fire: the one coming from his former political circle.