Ourense mayor Gonzalo Pérez Jácome faces nine‑year political disqualification request

Spain’s prosecutor has asked a court to impose a nine‑year special disqualification from public office on Gonzalo Pérez Jácome, the mayor of Ourense, for alleged prevarication. The accusation centres on his failure to request compatibility between his exclusive‑dedication municipal salary and a range of private activities – notably ownership of the local broadcaster Auria TV, administration of a former company and other commercial ventures – that generated income exceeding his public remuneration. The fiscal office reports that between 2019 and 2025 the mayor received roughly €470,000 from municipal salaries while earning about €788,000 from private businesses, and that he held concurrent registrations in both the general and self‑employed social‑security regimes.

If the court upholds the request, Jácome would be barred from running in the 2027 municipal elections, potentially reshaping the balance of power in Ourense where his party, Democracia Ourensana, is a key player. Opposition parties have called for public explanations and have urged him to resign. In a subsequent development, the Audiencia Provincial of Orense ruled the conduct an administrative irregularity rather than a criminal offence, dismissing the criminal proceeding and directing any sanction to the contencioso‑administrative route. The decision is final but may still be appealed to the Supreme Court of Galicia.