Pablo Iglesias e Irene Montero, leader and number two of Podemos – the far-left party that emerged from the embers of the 2008 financial and economic crisis – have become rich.
This is a completely subjective term and therefore debatable. But that’s how you can call -at least as journalistic license- who already has so much money saved, cold and hard, as to liquidate a mortgage of hundreds of thousands of euros today. And that is still left over. This is certified by both in the declaration of assets and economic rights of high charges published this Friday in the Official State Gazette.
Both came to Parliament waving the flag of the “vulnerable”, militant against “evictions” and knowing translate the claims into public policies and electoral programs of groups such as the Platform for People Affected by Mortgage (PAH). And, beyond the controversies with which Iglesias first, and Montero later, got on the media-political wave, it is legitimate to wonder in Spain about the patrimony of the rulers.
Not only because of the long list of corruption cases that have marked the history of democracy – it would not be necessary to complain at this point to the leaders of what was called “new politics” – but because public servants they receive a salary that comes out of taxes. And even more so in the case of positions by election, which ask for citizen endorsement in each electoral contest.
Assets and liabilities breakdown
The Royal Decree 1208/2018, of September 28, establishes that “during the first quarter of each calendar year”, “the declarations of assets, rights and patrimonial obligations of the high positions whose inauguration or dismissal has taken place in the previous year “.
And the coalition government has arrived just in time. This Friday, the BOE has made public the accounts of the members of the Executive, and according to the declaration of assets and interests that he filled out at the beginning of his career as a public representative, Iglesias has passed of an equity of 45,000 euros to multiply it by 12 and he already owns 539,880.25 euros.
The account comes out of adding its real estate assets, which reach a value of 233.282,15 euros, with the hard and fast money that he has managed to save in these years, that is, the 111.098,10 euros that he keeps in bank accounts, 187.500 euros that you keep in pension plans and life insurance, and others 8.000 euros listed in the section called “Other goods and rights of economic content”. In total, 306,598.10 euros.
The BOE also reflects the “liability” of the still second vice president of the Government, which rises to 231.156,50 euros. This box includes all the debts of the Podemos leader, including the mortgage on the famous villa in Galapagar to which he moved with his partner three years ago.
It must be clarified that the money saved in pension plans and life insurance is difficult to rescue, since it is invested in the long term, but of course, they are also funds that their owner can set aside of its liquid. If Iglesias wanted to settle all his liabilities to Tocateja, 75,441.60 euros would still remain in liquidity.
Irene Montero entered politics with 6,000 euros in the account.
Today he declares another 800,000 euros.
Nobody thinks there is anything weird, of course. But explaining these increases in assets is fundamental in order to demand transparency from others.
– Ramón Espinar (@RamonEspinar) March 26, 2021
Irene Montero presents very similar accounts, whose debts are perfectly equivalent to those of Iglesias, with a liability of 231.156,50 euros.
He also confesses a money invested in pension plans and life insurance exactly the same, 187.500 euros. Added to your checking accounts, 107.420,33 euros, the Minister of Equality – who confessed to having entered politics with 6.000 euros in the bank- you have already been able to save 294.920,33 euros.
In other words, Montero could pay off his debts and continue to have 63,763.83 euros in cash.
But it is also that the Minister of Equality is at 33 years the fourth member of the Executive who presents a higher real estate patrimony – only surpassed Manuel Castells, Isabel Celaá Y Jose Luis Escrivá-. According to the BOE publication, Irene Montero has properties with a total value of 335.049,49 euros.
This, added to his savings in money, yields an amount of 629.969,82 euros. In short, the leader of Unidas Podemos would already be 100 times richer than before entering public service of politics.
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