Spanish ex-PM Zapatero under investigation for alleged influence peddling, court says

Published connected 19/05/2026 - 11:14 GMT+2•Updated 11:27

Spain's erstwhile Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been placed nether probe for alleged power peddling and related crimes, a tribunal said connected Tuesday.

Zapatero, who served arsenic premier curate from 2004 to 2011, has been summoned to attest connected 2 June, Spain's apical transgression tribunal said successful a statement.

The lawsuit centres connected the bailout of Venezuela-linked hose Plus Ultra during the COVID-19 pandemic, years aft Zapatero had near office.

The hose received a €53 cardinal nationalist indebtedness successful March 2021 from a authorities money acceptable up to enactment strategical companies deed by the crisis.

He denied immoderate wrongdoing related to the bailout successful a Senate proceeding successful March, saying helium "never received immoderate commissions from Plus Ultra."

The rescue of Plus Ultra sparked contention successful Spain, with absorption parties questioning the airline's fiscal concern and its links to Venezuela.

This is the archetypal clip that a erstwhile Spanish premier curate has been placed nether ceremonial probe since the state returned to ideology pursuing the decease of longtime dictator Francisco Franco successful 1975.

PP demands explanations

The blimpish People's Party (PP) has demanded an urgent mentation from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez aft details of the Zapatero lawsuit emerged.

In a tweet connected X, the caput wide of the absorption party, Miguel Tellado, said: "We are not lone talking astir the erstwhile Prime Minister, but besides astir Sánchez's main adviser. The authorities has to springiness explanations now."

The quality comes amid a governmental tempest for the caput of the Spanish government, who is already facing respective corruption scandals.

Among them is the alleged Koldo case, a judicial probe into alleged irregularities successful the awarding of nationalist contracts during the pandemic that involves erstwhile officials linked to the Ministry of Transport.

An probe is besides nether mode into Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, for her nonrecreational activities and imaginable conflicts of interest. Both cases person intensified governmental unit connected the authorities successful caller months and person fuelled disapproval from the opposition, which is demanding greater transparency.