Spanish PM Sanchez more weakened than ever as investigation targets predecessor Zapatero
Spanish PM Sanchez more weakened than ever as investigation targets predecessor Zapatero
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In another setback for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, his predecessor, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (2004-2011), a leading figure and ongoing influential presence within the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), was targeted by an investigation for influence peddling on Tuesday, May 19. The development sent shockwaves among the country's Socialists, who are already reeling from a series of electoral losses and judicial scandals.
The Audiencia Nacional, the court responsible for sensitive cases in Spain, has summoned Zapatero for a hearing on June 2 to question him about the bailout of the airline Plus Ultra during the Covid-19 pandemic. This marks the first time in the country's history that a former prime minister has been called to testify under such circumstances.
In March 2021, this modest airline, which at that time only served Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, received an emergency loan of €53 million in public funds from the Sanchez government, as part of a support package for companies deemed "strategic" during the pandemic. From the outset, the selection of this company, which maintained close ties with Venezuela, raised questions.
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Judge José Luis Calama has suspected Zapatero of being at the center of an alleged network of influence peddling and money laundering. According to the judicial order, the former head of government is accused of using his "high-level institutional and government contacts" to steer administrative decisions in favor of private interests. The judge alleged that he irregularly received €1.95 million in commissions, routed through "opaque financial circuits."
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The judge also noted that "the intercepted communications reveal that the network operated both in Spain and abroad," maintaining contacts with political leaders and economic operators in Venezuela, China, the United Arab Emirates and other countries "with the aim of influencing administrative decisions or facilitating large-scale business operations."
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The investigation is the latest in a series of blows further weakening Sanchez. On May 17, the PSOE suffered its fourth regional defeat to the right in Andalusia since December 2025. Zapatero himself campaigned in the region, a socialist stronghold for more than four decades until 2019. Added to this is the José Luis Abalos affair. The former transport minister and trusted Sanchez ally, tried for corruption in public contracts awarded during the pandemic, is awaiting a verdict after his trial concluded on May 6.
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