Spanish Interior Ministry Faces Resignation Calls over Journalist Dossier

Revelation of the media dossier

A report published by El Confidencial revealed that the Communication Office of Spain's Ministry of the Interior compiled an internal dossier titled "Tertulianos. Radio y Televisión" classifying more than 280 journalists, commentators, and analysts by their perceived political ideology and editorial stance toward the government. The document, spanning over 50 pages and assembled between late 2023 and February 2024, included individual files containing photographs, professional backgrounds, and labels such as "close to PSOE", "conservative tendency", "independent", or "supports the Government". Five journalists and columnists from the newspaper LA RAZÓN, including its director Francisco Marhuenda and deputy director Carmen Morodo, were cataloged within the file alongside commentators such as Toni Bolaño, Elisa Beni, and Sergio Barbosa. Police trade unions also criticized the ministry for allocating resources to ideological tracking rather than operational alerts.

Government response and ministerial defence

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska addressed the dossier during a parliamentary control session in the Congress of Deputies, denying that the list constituted a blacklist or carried improper intent. The Ministry of the Interior described the document as an internal consultative paper that established no limits on journalistic activity, though its Communication Office issued an apology to media professionals who felt offended. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated in an interview on TVE that he was unaware of the dossier prior to its publication, describing the compilation as an unfortunate internal working draft while defending his administration's commitment to press freedom.

I find it a very unfortunate document, I cannot say more. What I can guarantee to you, to journalists, and of course to media workers, is that the Government of Spain respects the autonomy and independence of the media.

Political opposition demands resignations

Opposition leaders and regional officials condemned the dossier, with People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo calling it a blacklist and party secretary general Miguel Tellado demanding Grande-Marlaska's resignation during the congressional session. Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida rejected the government's characterization of the list as a routine reference document, arguing that classifying reporters exceeds the ministry's mandate.

This interior minister has to resign. If he knew, he has to resign, and if he did not know, because he is incompetent.

Regional presidents also criticized the report, with Andalusia President Juanma Moreno comparing ideological tracking to practices under Francisco Franco, while Aragon Vice President Mar Vaquero likened the classification to methods used in authoritarian systems. Criticism also emerged within socialist ranks, as Andalusian PSOE deputy general secretary María Márquez stated that she does not support categorizing journalists based on their political views.

Criminal complaint filed in Madrid

The political party Iustitia Europa filed a criminal complaint before the duty section of Madrid's Court of Instruction, seeking a judicial investigation into who ordered the dossier and how the data was utilized. The legal filing alleges violations of Article 197.2 of the Spanish Penal Code regarding unauthorized access and use of reserved personal data. The party emphasized the aggravated provisions under Article 197.5 concerning data revealing personal ideology, alongside Article 198 governing unlawful actions committed by public officials. The complaint asks the court to determine which officials had access to the material and what practical use was made of the compiled records.