situation exploded in March 2006 when Yagüe was jailed as the city stood near bankruptcy. According to unsubstantiated testimony, Muñoz and Yagüe were puppets in the hands of Antonio Roca, a councilman who got the job after failing in private business and gathering substantial wealth while working as a public servant. While Yagüe was in jail, the city council was run by Tomás Reñones, a former Atlético Madrid football player, who ended up in jail as well. On April 8, 2006, the Spanish government decided tosuspend the council, the first time such a course of action was taken in Spanish democracy.
After a short period of interim government, municipal elections were held in May 2007. The People's Party (PP) gained a majority with 16 out of the total of 26 councilors. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) had 10 councillors, United Left (IU) had 1. The Mayoress is Maria Angeles Muñoz, leader of the People's Party in Marbella. In the municipal elections of May 2011 the PP won 15 seats, the PSOE 7, IU 2 with three independents elected.
The development of the tourism industry and the prosperity derived from it (the municipality accounts for between 7 and 10% of GDP in Andalusia according to some sources) have attracted a population of diverse national origin, but have also facilitated international organized crime activity, which, together with corporate corruption scandals, has marked the contemporary image of Marbella. Members of the titled aristocracy and Euro-cartels largely moved on to less jaded venues
