A senior figure in the Spanish government overseeing reconstruction efforts in flood-hit Valencia has resigned amid a scandal involving his academic background.
José María Ángel Batalla, a member of the PSOE socialist party and head of the government’s reconstruction commission in Valencia, has stepped down following the launch of an inquiry into whether he used falsified academic credentials to gain entry into the civil service during the 1980s.
His resignation has intensified scrutiny over the frequent use of fake university qualifications in Spanish political circles and added to the ongoing challenges faced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration, which is already dogged by corruption controversies. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez vows not to quit, and presents 15-point anti-corruption plan.
The 68-year-old left his post after the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office opened a case examining the legitimacy of his civil service entry. Batalla has been accused of claiming a degree in archive studies from the University of Valencia – a programme the university has denied ever offering during that period. The El Mundo newspaper was first to uncover the scandal.
Batalla had been leading recovery operations after last year’s devastating floods in Valencia, which claimed the lives of more than 200 people. The handling of the disaster drew criticism about the regional authorities in Valencia, as well as Sánchez’s central government.
In response to public outcry over the lack of early warnings and slow rescue efforts, Sánchez deployed military units, police forces and the civil guard to the region. Click here for all our reports related to the Valencia Floods.
The controversy surrounding Batalla follows closely on the heels of another resignation: that of Noelia Núñez, a prominent figure in the right-wing People’s Party (PP), the main opposition party. She recently stepped down after admitting she had falsely claimed three university degrees – including a law degree – on her CV.
Núñez, 33, acknowledged she had not completed any of the programmes and resigned both as the PP’s national vice-secretary and as a member of parliament.
These recent resignations have intensified the national conversation about honesty and accountability in Spanish political life, with both the two main parties, the PSOE and PP, under fire amid ongoing corruption probes. ALSO READ: People’s Party now hit by alleged corruption scandal surrounding former finance minister.
Attention has also returned to Sánchez’s own academic record, with longstanding allegations of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis once again fuelling criticism of the political establishment.
Miguel Tellado, secretary general of the PP, said: ‘I want to see their degrees today. No excuses. Let’s see if their studies are as genuine as they claim, unlike Sánchez’s fake thesis.’
Tellado also took aim at Transport Minister Óscar Puente for misleadingly suggesting he had completed a degree course, despite having not done so.
Yolanda Díaz, the deputy prime minister from the left-wing Sumar group, who removed three ‘fake’ master’s degrees from her own official bio in 2021, commented that she would gladly see a ‘cleaning lady’ serve as minister without academic qualifications, criticising the elitism attached to higher education credentials.
Meanwhile, public confidence in Spain’s political institutions continues to erode. Members of Sánchez’s inner circle have been implicated in a kickback scheme involving public contracts, and his close aide Santos Cerdán remains in pre-trial detention. Further corruption revelations are anticipated later in the year. ALSO READ: Spain’s Attorney General to face trial in new setback for PM Sánchez.
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Las cinco pruebas de la falsificación más burda del “brillante” Ángel Batalla: no acertó ni con el Rey https://t.co/i91VXRX8hN
— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) August 1, 2025
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