1 day · 3 summary articles
Pedro Snchez backs Zapatero as corruption scandal escalates: daughters and secretary indicted
Snchez backs Zapatero amid money-laundering imputations: accuses PP of double standards
Judge rejects Zapateros innocence claim in Plus Ultra probe
Pedro Sánchez has rallied behind José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero after a Madrid judge on Wednesday indicted the former prime minister’s two daughters and his private secretary on suspicion of laundering commissions in the Plus Ultra airline case, escalating a scandal that is now threatening to engulf Spain’s Socialist leadership.
Speaking in Brussels ahead of an EU summit, the prime minister told reporters that Zapatero enjoys “my backing, my empathy and the support of the PSOE,” adding that he had been in daily contact with the former leader since the imputation was made public. Sánchez defended the ex-president’s receipt of luxury gifts—including jewellery—arguing that “all prime ministers receive presents” and that Spain’s ethical landscape had changed since the mid-2000s. “Fortunately, we have regulated and legislated,” he said, referring to stricter transparency laws enacted since Zapatero’s tenure.
Judge José Luis Calama, presiding over the Audiencia Nacional, took the decision to summon Zapatero’s daughters Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa and his former private secretary Gertrudis Alcázar as formal suspects at the request of Anti-Corruption prosecutors and a private plaintiff. The move follows Zapatero’s own court appearance on Tuesday, where he proclaimed his innocence and expressed confidence in the justice system.
The political fallout has intensified pressure on Sánchez, who faces a potential constitutional crisis if the 2026 budget is rejected by parliament. While he refused to confirm an early election this year, he warned that the government would “sweat blood” to secure the budget and urged all parties to act responsibly. He also criticised the conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo for applying a “Torquemada standard” to others while ignoring fresh allegations involving Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s partner, Alberto González Amador.
Hacienda, Spain’s tax authority, revealed on Wednesday that González Amador’s companies—Maxwell Cremona and Masterman & Whitaker—billed Quirón Prevención €4.4 million between 2021 and 2023 for consultancy services. Investigators suspect the payments were artificially routed through Masterman & Whitaker, which Hacienda has already labelled a “screen company.” The UCO Guardia Civil’s preliminary assessment, seen by El Mundo, suggests one of the firms lacked the operational capacity to deliver the services it invoiced.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, Ayuso’s chief of staff, responded by accusing the tax agency of “insinuations” and claiming the last Quirón contract predated her administration. In a social media post, he went further, calling for the agency to be “dynamited,” a remark that drew immediate criticism. Meanwhile, French daily Libération reported that the scandal has emboldened the right to push for Sánchez’s resignation, framing the Plus Ultra case as a broader indictment of Socialist governance.
As the political temperature rises, Sánchez has sought to insulate Zapatero while deflecting scrutiny from his own party’s ethical record. The coming days will test whether the prime minister can contain the fallout—or whether the twin crises will force an early electoral reckoning.