The 36-page resolution from the Ethics Committee, made public last week, confirms the allegations by Junts per Barcelona regarding the campaign's illegality. This decision follows a previous ruling by the Catalan Audiovisual Council (CAC), which ordered the campaign's immediate withdrawal last November for violating institutional communication regulations and political neutrality.
“"When a government uses over a million euros of taxpayers' money for partisan propaganda disguised as institutional communication, we are not facing an administrative error. We are facing a problem of political ethics."
The campaign, costing 1,091,030.90 euros, has been criticized for allocating public funds to promote the socialist government's actions, instead of improving essential services such as security, social services, or family aid. The Ethics Committee has identified reputational and economic legality risks, referring the case to the General Intervention for expenditure oversight.
Junts per Barcelona has welcomed the rigor of the Ethics Committee and its proposals to prevent future incidents, including reviewing internal protocols, strengthening transparency, and creating a guide of good practices. However, the party regrets that these measures come late, as 'the damage has already been done'.
The president of the Junts per Barcelona municipal group, Jordi Martí Galbis, expressed concern, viewing this case not as isolated but as a pattern of behavior by Jaume Collboni's government, which, according to him, prioritizes the political survival of the PSC over the common good.
