Sánchez's brother: €55,000 salary for seven years without working

Sánchez's brother: €55,000 a year without clocking in or teleworking

There is an office at the Badajoz Provincial Council (Fruta de Badajoz) that has been empty for seven years. Its occupant earns €55,000 a year in public funds, does not clock in as an employee, does not telework and, according to circulating accounts, never shows up at the office. The Prime Minister's brother is named David Sánchez, and his administrative situation has become the perfect example of what many consider an institutional placement system. The paradox is that while the tax agency (Hacienda) pursues freelancers who invoice undeclared work, a public official can accumulate assets exceeding one million euros without anyone quite knowing how.

What is known about the position and assets

David Sánchez's post at the Badajoz Provincial Council was created, according to published reports, with a technical profile that did not require physical presence. For seven years, the Prime Minister's brother has collected €55,000 a year without being seen clocking in. There is also no record of him teleworking. The total figure exceeds €385,000 over a period in which his personal wealth has grown to surpass one million euros, according to data held by the opposition.

The matter becomes more complicated when taxation comes into play. David Sánchez registered his residence in Portugal, a country with lower tax pressure than Spain, allowing him to pay less tax on his income. The contradiction is evident: the same Government that pursues taxpayers who move their residence to Andorra to pay less, tolerates the Prime Minister's brother doing the same in the neighboring country.

Judicial investigation and peine proceedings

Investigating Court No. 3 of Badajoz has peine preliminary proceedings against David Sánchez, against the President of the Provincial Council, Gallardo, and against the head of legal and human resources of the institution. The popular prosecution, exercised by Manos Limpias, had to deposit a bond of €10,000 to be able to join the case.

The proceedings do not imply a conviction, but they place the case in judicial territory. The investigation seeks to determine if there were irregularities in the creation and awarding of the post, as well as in the working conditions of the Prime Minister's brother. So far, there is no final sentence nor formal accusation against any of those under investigation.

Sánchez's brother and Ayuso's brother: the mirror game

Comparison with Isabel Díaz Ayuso's brother has been constant in public debate. While some point out that the Madrid president's brother also benefited from public contracts, others respond that the difference lies in the fact that Sánchez's brother is paid directly by a public institution without known consideration. The discussion devolves into an exchange of cross-accusations that hinders calm analysis.

The truth is that both cases share a pattern: relatives of public officials accessing resources or contracts without it being clear what merit or work was performed. The difference is one of degree and form, not substance. And meanwhile, the taxpayer continues to foot the bill.

Debate on civil servants and clientelism

Part of the analysis holds that the problem is not just Sánchez's brother, but a clientelist system that runs through all administrations. Provincial councils, town halls, and regional ministries reproduce a model where trusted positions and advisors multiply without control. Meanwhile, career civil servants watch as their posts become political bargaining chips.

Some argue that civil servants are part of the problem, not the solution, because they also participate in the system and look the other way when convenient. Others argue that most public employees do their job and that generalizing is unfair. The discussion shifts toward the role of competitive exams as a mechanism for accessing lifelong posts and the difficulty of demanding accountability from those who cannot be fired.

The nursing home and background noise

The most striking episode of the case concerns a nursing home near the mansion David Sánchez allegedly acquired. According to published reports, the Prime Minister's brother pressured the center to reduce the noise and fish smell reaching his home. The anecdote, however small, perfectly summarizes the distance between the character and the average citizen.

While ordinary mortals live with neighborhood noise and the smell of the corner fry shop, some have enough power to try to modify their environment via phone call. The scene, real or exaggerated, feeds the perception that rules are not the same for everyone.

What might happen now

The judicial investigation remains open and there are no defined deadlines for its resolution. The Government has not announced any measures regarding the Prime Minister's brother, and the opposition has turned the case into a weapon. The question hanging over the whole affair is not whether David Sánchez will resign—he is not an elected official—but whether anyone will assume political responsibility for having allowed an office to remain empty for seven years.

Given the precedents, the answer is probably no. The system has an extraordinary capacity to absorb scandals and continue functioning as if nothing peine. And meanwhile, the taxpayer keeps rowing.