Comments Auken Report and the Report on corruption prepared by Transparency International

The first document is named after the MEP Margrete Auken, Danish People’s Socialist Party, part of the group of the Greens / European Free Alliance, the second is made by an international NGO devoted to combating political corruption. The two reports provide a devastating portrait (and not surprisingly, on the other hand, in view of the daily cases of corruption that skip a day in and day also the headlines) about the poor quality of democratic institutions in Spain . Let us summarize and comment on what follows, these two important reports.

Report Auken

Auken The report came in response to the demands of more than 15,000 Spanish citizens and received by the Committee on Petitions, demanding protection from development abuses. Its subtitle is (On the impact of extensive urbanization in Spain in the individual rights of European citizens, the environment and the application of Community law).

The massive urbanization of the territory in this country, in an interview Auken describes as "surreal," not only violated European laws on environment and minimum principles of economic and ecological sustainability, as well as the fundamental rights of ownership of many citizens who unknowingly purchased hundreds of homes built illegally, which in many cases, are threatened with demolition, without value or supply of water; "small problems", in short, the result of greed and irresponsibility estate , negligence or connivance of local authorities or autonomous.

There is talk of 250 urban projects investigated by the Commission with a negative opinion on water authorities and river basins, mainly in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia and Valencia. In these and many other cases, not only obviate the laws to protect flora, fauna and landscapes, but is passed oblivious to the Framework in the water sector and the sustainable use of natural water resources, resulting in an irresponsible use planning for urban growth crazed. Our disregard for the law is also at this point, the Guinness record.

"Well, okay, we’re loading the coast and areas of high biodiversity everywhere, but, after all, earn money, right?" No. This model of growth without development, fueled by greed and speculative behavior by some local authorities and members of the construction industry generates massive profits for the few benefits that only fleetingly leave a "wealth" in the area , where large gains are immediately exported to other areas or economic sectors, without creating lasting employment and quality in those places they went as they say speculation passed the horse of Attila.

The document asks the competent authorities a moratorium on all new urban plans that do not respect the strict criteria of environmental sustainability and social responsibility, and which do not ensure respect for the legitimate ownership of property acquired legally, and to halt and reverse all housing developments in progress that have not respected or implemented the criteria established by Community law, especially as regards the award of urban and compliance on water and environment."

The report also speaks of the situation of helplessness of citizens before the connivance of public authorities and economic, of a lack of effective means to access justice(see, in this sense, the article by Pedro Brufau). "This lack of protection and environmental citizenship, has generated an endemic form of corruption that, again, the main victim is the European citizen, but has also caused substantial losses to the Spanish State. Faced with the occult information in making planning decisions that affect us all and against the propaganda, the author urges local authorities to consult their citizens and "make them partners in urban development projects in order to promote a more acceptable and sustainable (...) the interests of local communities and not in the exclusive interest of developers, real estate and other vested interests." She rightly in our opinion, José Manuel Naredo speaks of "democracy neocaciquismo coated, which converts the state into a democracy of Spanish operetta, regional third (reading from his book Roots of ecological deterioration and economic structure should be mandatory , by the way).

So what we see from Europe Shorties and ugly, with poor democratic culture "corrutos? ’Aaand and wiggle them, you might think. But, say, hand on heart, that is, in the pocket where we sometimes wallet. Attention! Do we sound structural compensation funds, these funds LEADER PRODER ...? They have fallen from heaven those millions of euros. To those who criticize both ’European bureaucrats’ care ... Europe is good when it pays, but not when it enforces the law. If we do not follow the law by virtue, let’s interest, the interest of not losing that aid. From Europe warn: the Commission is empowered to "interrupt the provision of structural funds, and (...) to suspend the funding in a Member State or region concerned, and to provide corrections in relation to the projects to receive funds that subsequently deemed not have fully complied with the rules governing the application of relevant legislation of the EU ". Moreover, as budget authority is, you can "choose to place in reserve funds for cohesion policies if necessary to persuade Member States to put an end to serious violations of rules and principles is bound to respect" .

Scares, right? Cacica like the M-501 we can be very expensive.

2008 Global Report on Corruption in Spain

If the previous document left us wrong body, this directly allows us to shit.

Studies indicate the area of greatest concern about corruption is for the local area, and within it, a land policy and urban planning. Since 2005 corruption cases investigated or reported soared, while enhancing a cynical view of power (which can be summarized in that famous phrase, attributed to Zaplana: "I’m in politics for lining"), it degraded democracy and generated skepticism and mistrust, frustration and disappointment.

The study on corruption is broken down into three levels:

On the social, political corruption associated with the construction industry has led to the overpricing of housing and the loss of welfare and quality of life of future generations on this (which we may be condemning the shortage). This model of speculative growth, linked to the "easy money", the lack of planning and citizen participation, produces also a climate of anomie, weakness of the social and ethical standards that should govern a society and the values are dissolved , as one said, "in the icy water of egotistical calculation." The rapid enrichment, deceit and opportunism are imposed on the moral and civic ethics.

The report offers some very interesting data to focus the discussion: "Currently in Spain there is a home for every two inhabitants (in 2005 only 800,000 new homes were built in our country, as many as in Britain, Germany and France as a whole). This increase has meant lower price, on the contrary, prices of apartments rose by 150% in seven years. " While these figures were produced, socially there was a deterioration in the climate of coexistence: "The picture can be presented as more disappointing: the Corruption increases distrust and destroys social capital. The widespread distrust of others is in Spain for more than 60% and only 30% of Spanish hopes others. Therefore, among other reasons, Spain is among the developed countries, which has a lower level of political participation.

Economically, we must say that while construction and urban development have been the main drivers of the Spanish economy, it is an economic activity and employment as intense as fragile, fleeting and destructive of the social, cultural and natural . For the authors of the report, this model has not led to development in the strict sense and also has generated negative effects on the environment, respect for the law and equality. "

There was also a sort of vicious circularity we have noted many times as a trap for developing nations: "Our councils have found the ground main source of extra funding, but in many cases the soil is ’selling off’ or money they get from the reclassification have to use it then provide services to new residents, which just increased spending, so they need to get more land to sell or retraining in an unstoppable vicious circle. " According to a document BBVA (little organization suspected of leftist sympathies or environmentalists), "facing municipal revenue and expenditure related to the property sector, it appears that this sector is contributing 32% of municipal revenues, while generating a cost equivalent to 36% of total municipal expenditures. As the saying goes, that is "making bread as a communion wafers."

The political effects, in short, involve the discrediting of democratic institutions that protect citizens from injustice or guarantee the equal implementation by all the rules of the game. This may pave the way to "populism and extremism of all kinds." Congratulations to the nostalgic.