THE Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) confirmed that do not renew the extraordinary chair for competitive social transformation, directed by Begoña Gómez, wife of Pedro Sánchez. The Complutense University of Madrid notified this Wednesday of this decision to the two entities that until now sponsored the chair.Reale Seguros and La Caixa Foundation.
OKDIARIO announced on August 23 that Begoña Gómez had not obtained sponsors to renew the chair, which led to the closure of the academic project. An initiative that ended up before the Court of Instruction 41 of Madrid, which is investigating the partner of the President of the Government for influence peddling and corruption in business.
The agreement that allowed the creation of the chair, signed on October 30, 2020, had a period of four years and, without renewal, it was supposed to end next month. Although Begoña Gómez considered several companies to obtain enough money for four more years of teaching, it ultimately did not happen. The insurance company Reale confirmed a few months ago that it did not plan to continue the sponsorship. And, for its part, the bank said that it had not received a formal request from Complutense to renew its financial support. In July, Begoña Gómez proposed the renewal of the presidency. The director of the latter spoke with a union of SMEs about her socialist theses, but in the end this sponsorship was not forged.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has indicted Begoña Gómez and is investigating how she obtained this professorship, although she did not have an official title in her academic career. The Aragonese businessman Carlos Barrabés collaborated with the tenant of La Moncloa. Specifically, this helped him organize one of the two master’s degrees directed by Begoña Gómez at the UCM. That innovation guru He also has no approved career on his resume.
In addition, the judge of the Plaza Castilla courts also charged the university rector, Joaquín Goyache, and the businessman Carlos Barrabés, among others. One of the points under study is whether favors in the creation of said chair and in the appointment of Begoña Gómez as co-director. It must be taken into account that the rest of the 54 chair directors have an official university degree.
Creation of the Begoña Gómez chair
The rector of the UCM, Joaquín Goyache, admitted before the judge that he met in July 2020 with Begoña Gómez in La Moncloaat his request, to discuss the creation of the chair. The agreement signed for four years provided for the possibility of to be extended for four more if there is unanimous consensus between the parties, formalized in writing at least one month before the expiration. For his appointment, the university had to designate a co-director, Professor José Manuel Ruano, since Sánchez’s partner has no direct working relationship with the university center.
However, in accordance with the regulations of the extraordinary chairs of the UCM, Gómez had to request the renewal three months before and present the sponsors who would finance the chair. Sources close to the chair told this newspaper that it was not possible to carry out this renovation, especially after the accusation of the first lady
The regulations provide that the minimum duration of these chairs is three years. In the case of Gómez, the chair is in force since October 2020. During the monitoring commission held on July 2, Begoña Gómez unsuccessful renewal request for another four years. This will result in the extinction of the chair.
When the chair was presented, it was explained that its objective was help businesses to integrate a social and environmental impact strategy into their business models, thereby improving their competitiveness and contributing to the well-being of the planet. One of its major projects was to create a platform online to help SMEs implement sustainability standards and the 2030 Agenda. He first maneuvered with companies like Google to do it for free. Then he signed an order with UCM money for the consulting firm Deloitte. Today, the website is half-finished and shows no signs of mass use.
It is worth recalling that Judge Peinado called the godfathers of the presidency to testify, in particular Marc Simon Martinez, Deputy Director General of the Fundación la Caixa, already Ignacio MariscalCEO of Reale. Both have contributed annually 126,000 euros to the project led by Gómez. They stated on August 26 that they had opted for the project because of its content and not to look good in the eyes of the executive power embodied by Pedro Sánchez.
The opening of judicial investigations has generated a big controversy at the UCM, and internal sources say they are concerned about the way the Begoña Gómez case This has affected the reputation of the university. This issue was at the center of the last session of the UCM Board of Directors, during which several professors asked Rector Goyache for explanations.
