The Spanish government plans to approve the long-delayed Integrity Law in July, moving its anti-corruption agenda forward after months of political tension and public scrutiny over scandals involving high-profile figures. Government sources have confirmed the move, which is intended to speed up the legislative process. The law incorporates most of the measures Pedro Sánchez announced a year ago and is expected to go to parliament for debate after the summer recess. It is part of a broader State Plan against Corruption, which Sánchez announced in the Cortes Generales on 9 July 2025 and the Council of Ministers approved on 26 August 2025. The Ministry of Finance says the plan draws on recommendations from the Council of Europe’s GRECO and the OECD, along with guidance from the European Commission and the UN Convention against Corruption. It frames the proposed law around prevention and investigation, as well as sanctions and the recovery of public funds.
The draft law was first approved in February, after a period marked by the Ábalos and Cerdán cases and the imprisonment of a former PSOE party official. Since then, pressure has mounted on the government to act, particularly as judicial investigations involving the PSOE and the government have intensified. The Socialists have pointed to the lack of guaranteed parliamentary support as a reason for delays, citing the stalled lobby regulation bill as an example of legislative gridlock. Some parliamentary voices now argue the process should begin regardless, requiring each party to make its position clear through a vote. The State Plan also has an administrative implementation mechanism: Real Decreto 711/2025, dated 26 August 2025, established an interministerial commission to coordinate its rollout across the basic administration.
A basic feature of the new law is the creation of the Agencia Independiente de Integridad Pública, an independent body tasked with preventing corruption and overseeing enforcement, including prosecutions. Strongly advocated by Sumar, the agency would consolidate functions held by several existing state bodies. These include the Office of Conflict of Interest and the Independent Whistleblower Protection Authority, alongside the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service. It would be able to launch investigations and oversee compliance with rules on public procurement and lobbying. Its remit would also cover conflicts of interest and accountability, as well as protections for whistleblowers. The proposal would sit alongside Spain’s existing whistleblower structure under Ley 2/2023, which requires internal reporting systems in companies and public entities. The Autoridad Independiente de Protección del Informante (AIPI), given its official statute in October 2024, is legally distinct from the proposed agency. Its mandate includes receiving external reports and protecting informants against retaliation, as well as sanctioning specified breaches of the law.
The AIPI’s reported operating figures show the scale of whistleblower casework and the demands of filtering incoming reports. It began operating on 1 September 2025 under political scientist Manuel Villoria and had a staff of 18. During its first year, it received more than 1,000 communications; roughly 30 led to formal protection, while about 2% were identified as potentially involving criminal conduct and referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The figures distinguish incoming reports from cases that meet the threshold for protection or criminal referral. The agency proposed in the Integrity Law would have a broader remit, covering the wider enforcement cycle alongside whistleblower protection.
To establish the agency, the government will need to amend up to six organic laws. The general penitentiary law will be changed so people convicted of corruption who fail to repay illicit gains cannot move to a lower prison grade. Even in cases of insolvency, sentences must be served in full unless financial restitution is made. Previously, courts had discretion over such matters after investigating asset concealment or insolvency. The law also introduces random wealth checks for senior officials and upgrades the public procurement portal with new digital tools to strengthen oversight of party financing and activities.
Party funding rules will become significantly stricter. The maximum disqualification period for companies found guilty of corruption will rise from 15 to 20 years, and authorities will create a public blacklist of those companies. All ownership changes must be traceable in the Mercantile Registry. Transparency requirements for political donations will tighten, with the threshold for publishing individual donations dropping from €25,000 to €2,500. Political organizations that fail to report donations within a month will face doubled penalties, while external, independent audits of party accounts will become mandatory.
The reforms come amid wider debate over government transparency and the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures in Spain. Political influence and lobbying have also featured in recent cases, such as the state bailout for Tubos Reunidos, where political pressure played a decisive role in shifting government decisions. The Integrity Law is intended to address such concerns by centralizing oversight and increasing accountability across public institutions and political parties. Its implementation would also need to set clear jurisdictional and cooperation rules for the new agency’s work with prosecutors and procurement authorities. It would also need to establish arrangements with disciplinary bodies and regional institutions. The AIPI has identified uneven regional implementation of Ley 2/2023: seven autonomous communities reportedly had neither established their own office nor signed an agreement allowing the national authority to exercise competence there.
Domestic and European bodies have repeatedly called on Spain to strengthen its anti-corruption structure. The European Commission has identified effective enforcement and independent oversight as ongoing challenges. The planned agency and legislative changes are designed to bring Spain closer to EU standards and restore public trust in political institutions. If approved, the law could significantly change how corruption cases are handled and political financing monitored in the country.
