Majority of Spaniards favour whistleblower protection

A survey conducted by Blueprint for Free Speech, in collaboration with international consultancy IPSOS, reveals strong public support for whistleblower protection across Spain.

The study gathers opinions on the protection of whistleblowers in Spain from a sample of 2,174 interviews conducted nationwide.

Overall the study shows 71% of Spaniards surveyed believe whistleblowers should be supported even if they reveal information from inside an organisation. Just 16% disagree and believe whistleblowers should be punished instead. 13% were undecided or couldn't say.

The categories of the surveyed population analysed by gender, age, education levels and marital status show strong support, ranging from 64% in the lowest group to 77% in the highest.

The uniformity of public support across the population points to significant support for law reform in this area in Spain.

‘This study shows that Spain is clearly ready for its very own stand-alone whistleblower protection law, one that encompasses all the important components from stopping retaliation to protecting freedom of expression,’ Bruno Galizzi, Blueprint’s Spanish Project Manager said.

‘It points to an opportunity for all sides of politics to come together in support of strong legislation for protection, and the government is conducting public consultation now on this,’ he said

Media publications "Publico" and "ConfiLegal" have both run stories covering our study.

Blueprint's submission to the Ministry of Justice's public consultation regarding a whistleblower protection law for Spain as part of National Transposition of the EU Directive can be found here.