The former minister José Luis Ábalos has decided to keep the seat after the outbreak of the “Koldo case” and, in response to the PSOE’s demand that he resign from the minutes in 24 hours, has chosen to join the Joint Congressional Group. This was announced in an appearance before the media to “defend your honorability” and to explain what he considers “the most important decision” of his political life.
In his speech he left several lapidary phrases:
-«I appear before you today determined to defend my personal honor and my reputation as a deputy to the last consequences.
-«I would have liked to have the benefit of companionship, to be able to have shared a reflection for the benefit of our initials and the restoration of public debate along the path of calm and consideration. It hasn’t been like that. “It has not been possible.”
-“I owe it to the people who really appreciate me, they are the ones who have conveyed to me with sincerity and generosity the risk that I continue in the fight, the request that I not give up and that I defend my honorability.”
– «I confirm once again that I am not accused of anything, nor am I part of the ongoing investigation and nor do I have any illicit enrichment (…). I have no need, therefore, to invoke the principle of presumption of innocence.
-«If I resigned, and even more so at this moment, would be interpreted as a sign of guilt which I do not assume. And it would only cause my stigmatization, not just political, but personal. “I am aware, I am old enough, I know what a political stinker is, I know.”
-“Given the need to defend myself and restore my honor as a deputy and as a person, and given the need not to compromise the socialist parliamentary group, I have decided to move to the Mixed Group of the Congress of Deputies (…). I make this drastic decision after a very deep reflection on the causes and management of this crisis (…). “I can assure you that it is a very hard decision.”
-“Paying tribute to the right as I believe the political leadership of my party does is not going to prevent the right from continuing its hunt beyond me.”
-“I cannot end my political career and my career as a corrupt person when I am innocent.”
-«Defending my honor from the Mixed Group will allow me to continue defending my ideas with freedom of judgment and hopefully also attend the end of this game forcing those who now intend to throw me out on the street through the back door to look at my face now. “many party colleagues who encourage me to move forward.”
-“Justice is opposed to Justicialism and acting at the dictates of your political adversaries (…) is an error that only leads to confusion and inflame the attacks of those who will never recognize your democratic legitimacy.”
-«I feel like I’m facing everything, I come alone in my car, I don’t have a secretary, I don’t have anyone behind me or next to me. I face all the political powerfrom one side and the other, and I have to do it alone.
-“I have had the opportunity to receive infinite signs of affection, recognition, adhesion… inside and outside the party, and from other parties, and it is these signs that have encouraged me to not defend my honorability from resignation nor from the periphery.
