Spain's Audiència Nacional Seeks to Suspend Culture Ministry Deal with Debt-Ridden Andorran Firm

Spain's Audiència Nacional has called for the suspension and annulment of an agreement between the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Andorran firm Antiqvvm Edicions, S.L., over alleged breaches of public procurement regulations.

The administrative appeal, first reported by Spanish outlet *El Mundo Financiero*, seeks to halt the deal pending a final ruling. In a related development, Commercial Court No. 1 in Murcia has designated the ministry as a third-party debtor in a judicial seizure stemming from the company's unpaid court costs.

Antiqvvm Edicions, currently under judicial intervention, is represented by Josep Estañol Cornella, who was dismissed as a notary by the Andorran government in 2020 before the agreement was signed. Its ownership includes Santiago Blanch Hernández, linked to the founding family of supermarket chain Caprabo, and Joan Carles Casal de Fonsdeviela, whose shares are subject to registered seizures.

While the company has faced multiple seizure proceedings since 2017 according to Andorra's companies register, recent records show no pending embargo actions against it. The case has sparked institutional interest in Spain, given a government ministry's involvement with a foreign entity holding Spanish capital and recognized debts in the country. This has drawn economic disputes directly into Spanish administration.

Appellants highlight that key authorities—including the Crown of Aragon Archive and the Central Administrative Court for Contractual Appeals—were notified in advance but did not intervene to avert the conflict. The proceedings, blending administrative and commercial law, will be resolved by the Audiència Nacional.