Vallín tweet reignites Spain's campaign against judges
In April 2021, during Spain's second state of alarm, a column by Pedro Vallín reopened the offensive against the judiciary as an institutional check.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Vallín, Leire and the talking point against judges
What exactly was said in April 2021 about Spain's judiciary, and why is it back in the spotlight now? Columnist Pedro Vallín published a piece at the time which, viewed with hindsight, reads as one more piece of a sustained strategy: discrediting judges as an institutional check. The date is no coincidence. Spain was emerging from its second ELbichito-19 state of alarm, with restrictions still in force and a weary public. In that context, the thesis that certain political circles intend to swallow up the judiciary takes on a different meaning.
What the April 2021 article said
The text signed by Vallín drew on a science fiction parable to talk about democracy and an autonomous power governed by its own codes. The comparison, seemingly innocuous, served to question the legitimacy of a body that presents itself as independent of political power. It was not an isolated column: it formed part of a climate of opinion in which judges were accused of acting on ideological motives.
The timing, coinciding with the second state of alarm, which lasted six months and kept mobility restrictions in place, reinforces the reading that this was a moment of maximum institutional tension. While citizens trinc the phases of de-escalation, other forums discussed moves that never reached the mainstream media.
The link between Vallín, Leire and the official narrative
The connection between the columnist and the person identified as responsible for the talking point is one of the most widely circulated points. It is claimed that Vallín acted on direct instructions, although there is no public documentation to prove it. What is documented is that he was removed from La Vanguardia after an episode related to the DANA flooding and found a home on public television talk shows.
That career path — from print journalism to public television — sketches an ecosystem in which voices critical of the judiciary find a platform. It is not a unique case, but it is one of the most visible.
Why the judiciary is seen as the last check
The argument running through this affair is that the judiciary is the only real counterweight left against an executive with a parliamentary majority. If judges are delegitimised, the last obstacle to unchecked concentration of power is removed. That is the thesis defended in the material analysed, and it explains why every attack on the judiciary is read as one step further.
Some argue this is simply legitimate criticism of specific rulings. Against that stands the fact that the criticism is not aimed at individual cases, but at the institution as a whole.
The echo on social media and the later reaction
The conversation did not end with the article. On social media, messages circulated accusing judges of falsifying evidence or acting on fascist motives, alongside others defending judicial independence as a democratic guarantee. Polarisation is total.
The closure of one of the named individuals' accounts adds an element of opacity. There is no official confirmation of the reasons, but the timing coincides with the spread of these messages, fuelling all kinds of interpretations.
In the end, the question is not whether Vallín wrote it, but whether someone with the power to do so believed it was useful to write.
What exactly was said in April 2021 about Spain's judiciary, and why is it back in the spotlight now? Columnist Pedro Vallín published a piece at the time which, viewed with hindsight, reads as one more piece of a sustained strategy: discrediting judges as an institutional check. The date is no coincidence. Spain was emerging from its second ELbichito-19 state of alarm, with restrictions still in force and a weary public. In that context, the thesis that certain political circles intend to swallow up the judiciary takes on a different meaning.
What the April 2021 article said
The text signed by Vallín drew on a science fiction parable to talk about democracy and an autonomous power governed by its own codes. The comparison, seemingly innocuous, served to question the legitimacy of a body that presents itself as independent of political power. It was not an isolated column: it formed part of a climate of opinion in which judges were accused of acting on ideological motives.
The timing, coinciding with the second state of alarm, which lasted six months and kept mobility restrictions in place, reinforces the reading that this was a moment of maximum institutional tension. While citizens trinc the phases of de-escalation, other forums discussed moves that never reached the mainstream media.
The link between Vallín, Leire and the official narrative
The connection between the columnist and the person identified as responsible for the talking point is one of the most widely circulated points. It is claimed that Vallín acted on direct instructions, although there is no public documentation to prove it. What is documented is that he was removed from La Vanguardia after an episode related to the DANA flooding and found a home on public television talk shows.
That career path — from print journalism to public television — sketches an ecosystem in which voices critical of the judiciary find a platform. It is not a unique case, but it is one of the most visible.
Why the judiciary is seen as the last check
The argument running through this affair is that the judiciary is the only real counterweight left against an executive with a parliamentary majority. If judges are delegitimised, the last obstacle to unchecked concentration of power is removed. That is the thesis defended in the material analysed, and it explains why every attack on the judiciary is read as one step further.
Some argue this is simply legitimate criticism of specific rulings. Against that stands the fact that the criticism is not aimed at individual cases, but at the institution as a whole.
The echo on social media and the later reaction
The conversation did not end with the article. On social media, messages circulated accusing judges of falsifying evidence or acting on fascist motives, alongside others defending judicial independence as a democratic guarantee. Polarisation is total.
The closure of one of the named individuals' accounts adds an element of opacity. There is no official confirmation of the reasons, but the timing coincides with the spread of these messages, fuelling all kinds of interpretations.
In the end, the question is not whether Vallín wrote it, but whether someone with the power to do so believed it was useful to write.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (45 replies).
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