Worldwide Whistleblowing Day Gets Strong Support in Spain

Today, June 23, 2021 we celebrate Worldwide Whistleblowing Day in one of the only countries in the EU without a national whistleblower protection law.

Blueprint for Free speech has today published a new research study, in Spanish and English, revealing the Spanish public’s views on whistleblowing, corruption, secrecy and anonymity. Based on 2,174 interviews, the national study finds:

• 71% of respondents think that whistleblowers should be protected, not punished, even if this means revealing inside information.

• A resounding 86% of Spaniards think that those who have information about serious wrongdoing in an organization should be able to turn to a journalist, the media or the internet to draw attention to irregularities. Support includes whistleblowers who do so as a first option, those with a specific reason, or as a last resort. This high number clearly points to overwhelming support to protect whistleblowers who choose to make public disclosures.

• 57% of Spaniards think that too much information is kept secret in organizations, and only 21% believe that an adequate amount of information is kept secret. Majorities in favour of transparency were particularly notable in the 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 age groups, with 66% and 61% respectively.

• Women were more skeptical of organizations: 62% overall said the level of secrecy in public and private institutions was too high, compared to 52% of men.

• Although the majority of Spaniards want greater transparency at the national level, opinions are notably more favourable in some autonomous communities, with La Rioja (86%), Cantabria (72%) and Murcia (69%) registering significantly high preference scores.

• Only 15% of Spaniards want whistleblowers to have to provide their identities to the recipient of the information. The recipient may not be the person accused of corruption; It could be an anti-corruption agency, for example.

"In this data, the Spanish public clearly shows a tsunami of support for whistleblowers being allowed to go to the media: 86% support is huge,” said the executive director of Blueprint, Dr. Suelette Dreyfus.

The research report also revealed a surprising result in strong public support among Spaniards for anonymity for whistleblowing.

"60% of Spaniards support giving anonymity to whistleblowers if they fear reprisal; this has exceeded our expectations on this particularly sensitive issue in Spain, due to the historical stigma associated with alerts", according to Bruno Galizzi, Researcher and Assessment Fellow at Blueprint for Free Speech.

“Offering whistleblowers the alternative of anonymity is essential. Sometimes they run the risk of losing their job, but they also have a physical risk. Anonymity is really important. The most important thing is to focus on what is being reported, not who is reporting it. And anonymity allows that to happen," he said.

Since Directive 2019/1937 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of October 23, 2019 was approved, there has been little progress in Spain transposing the Directive into Spanish law, despite the looming deadline for this of the end of 2021.

Read the full report, Whistleblowing in Spain: Public views on secrecy, whistleblower protection, anonymity and reporting to the media, in Spanish or English