Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, is facing a tough summer ahead, with corruption cases involving his brother, his wife, and his predecessor, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, set to be heard by judges in the coming days and weeks.
The socialist leader—who came to power eight years ago by ousting the scandal-ridden conservative People’s Party (PP) government through a no-confidence vote—has insisted that his family has done nothing wrong. He has also defended Zapatero and his right to be presumed innocent.
But with two of his former close aides also accused of corruption, and his former attorney general banned from office for two years after being found guilty of leaking confidential information, Sánchez has plenty to deal with ahead of next year’s general election. Here’s a summary of the cases.
What’s happening with Sánchez’s brother?
The prime minister’s younger brother, David Sánchez, goes on trial on Thursday in the southwestern region of Extremadura, accused of influence peddling and misuse of public office. Ten other people face the same charges.
The case stems from a complaint by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a self-styled trade union with far-right links that has a long history of using the courts to target those it sees as threats to Spain’s democratic interests. According to the complaint, David Sánchez was given a tailor-made job by the socialist-led council of the southwestern city of Badajoz in July 2017, when his brother was the national leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) but not yet prime minister.
David Sánchez denies the charges and faces a three-year prison sentence if found guilty.
And what about his wife?
The prime minister’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has also ended up in court due to a complaint from Manos Limpias. Last month, a judge in Madrid charged Gómez with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds at the end of a two-year investigation.
She is accused of using her influence as the prime minister’s wife to secure and manage a position at Madrid’s Complutense University, and of using public resources and personal connections to advance her private interests.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has also charged Gómez’s personal assistant, Cristina Álvarez, and a businessman, Juan Carlos Barrabés, in connection with the case. All the accused deny any wrongdoing. Gómez is due to appear before Peinado for a preliminary hearing on 9 June.
Why is Zapatero under investigation?
Zapatero, who was prime minister from 2004 to 2011 and remains a key figure for the Spanish left, is being investigated for alleged influence peddling and other offenses by a judge looking into the state bailout of a Venezuela-linked airline during the Covid pandemic.
This investigation is part of a broader inquiry into the €53 million (£46 million) state rescue of the Spanish airline Plus Ultra in March 2021. Prosecutors are examining whether the company made “inadequate use” of the public funds approved for the bailout, while anti-corruption police are investigating whether the airline used the rescue money to launder funds from Venezuela through France, Switzerland, and Spain.
According to the investigating judge, Zapatero is alleged to have overseen “a hierarchical structure of influence peddling” aimed at “obtaining economic benefits through intermediation and exerting influence on public bodies in favor of third parties, mainly Plus Ultra.”
Zapatero has maintained his innocence and said he is willing to cooperate with the investigation. He is scheduled to testify before Spain’s highest criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, on 17 and 18 June.
“I want to reaffirm that all my public and private activities have always been carried out with full respect for the law,” he said.Last week, he added that he had never taken “any action” related to the airline’s bailout.
How has the prime minister reacted to all this?
When news broke in April 2024 that his wife was under investigation, Sánchez canceled his public duties for five days while he considered his political future. He accused his political and media enemies of launching a “harassment and bullying operation” against his family, but decided to stay in office.
He has maintained that his wife and his brother are victims of politically motivated smear campaigns, and has said: “The truth will come out in the end. My brother and my wife are innocent.” Sánchez has also openly questioned the independence of some members of Spain’s judiciary. “There’s no doubt that there are judges doing politics and there are politicians trying to do justice,” he said in a TV interview last September.
He has backed Zapatero as more details have emerged about the case, saying on Wednesday that he saw “no reason” to withdraw his support for his predecessor.
What about the other corruption cases involving his administration?
In June last year, Sánchez ordered Santos Cerdán, the PSOE’s organizational secretary and his right-hand man, to resign after a supreme court judge found “firm evidence” of his possible involvement in taking kickbacks on public construction contracts. Cerdán has denied any wrongdoing.
Cerdán’s case is linked to those of two other men, both once close to Sánchez. Former transport minister José Luis Ábalos is accused – along with his former aide Koldo García and businessman Víctor de Aldama – of taking kickbacks on public contracts for sanitary equipment during the Covid pandemic. Ábalos and García, who deny all charges, face sentences of 24 years and 19 years respectively, while Aldama, who has already admitted his part in the alleged scheme, faces a seven-year sentence.
On Wednesday, anti-corruption police officers investigating an alleged plot to destabilize judicial proceedings against the socialist party – or the government – entered the PSOE’s Madrid headquarters in search of documents. The presiding judge has said Cerdán was among those being investigated for possible offenses including misuse of office, influence peddling, bribery, and inducing false testimony.
Anything else?
In November last year, Spain’s top prosecutor was banned from his post for two years after being found guilty of leaking confidential information about a tax case involving a businessman who is the boyfriend of a prominent right-wing politician.
Álvaro García Ortiz, who had served as attorney general since 2022, was also fined €7,300 (about £6,428) and ordered to pay €10,000 in damages to the businessman, Alberto González Amador, whose partner is Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the populist PP leader of the Madrid region.
García Ortiz had insisted that he neither leaked the information nor had it leaked, and his defense said there was “absolutely no evidence” that he was the source of the leak. Journalists called to give evidence also denied that the attorney general had fed them the information. The saga was a blow to Sánchez, whose government had proposed García Ortiz for the job.
What’s next for Sánchez and the PSOE?
In a statement released after Wednesday’s searches at its headquarters, the PSOE said it would “always maintain a position of maximum collaboration with the justice system and of absolute respect for judicial actions.” Sánchez, meanwhile, has dismissed calls for an early general election, arguing Spain needs “stability.”
But his opponents, who once again sense weakness, are pushing for next year’s election to be moved forward. “The only choice left is to let the Spanish people have their say right now,” the PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said on Wednesday. “We”I can’t take this anymore.” Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, said: “Not a week, not a day, not an hour goes by without new details coming out about the mafia that runs Spain… They need to be stopped and brought to court.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the corruption cases involving Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchezs family and predecessor written in a natural tone with clear answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is the scandal about
There are several separate investigations The main ones involve alleged corruption and influence peddling by Begoña Gómez an investigation into Sánchezs brother for alleged tax crimes and a separate case against a former minister from Sánchezs party
2 Who is Begoña Gómez and what is she accused of
Begoña Gómez is the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez A judge is investigating her for alleged influence peddling and corruption This stems from her private business dealings and meetings with businessmen who later won government contracts
3 What did Pedro Sánchezs brother do
Sánchezs brother David Sánchez is under investigation for alleged tax fraud and influence peddling He works as a cultural manager in the province of Badajoz and the case questions whether he got that job through his family name and if he properly paid taxes
4 Who is the predecessor involved
This refers to Mariano Rajoy the former Prime Minister from the opposing Popular Party He is not a suspect in the current family scandals but he is a central figure in the wider Kitchen case which involves the illegal use of secret police to spy on a former PP treasurer
5 Is Pedro Sánchez personally accused of a crime
No As of now Pedro Sánchez himself is not a suspect in any of these cases The investigations focus on his wife his brother and a former political rival
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 What is influence peddling in simple terms
It means using your personal connections or political influence to get someone an unfair advantage like a job a contract or a favor without breaking a specific bribery law
7 Why did Sánchez take a fiveday break from work over this
In April 2024 a judge opened the preliminary investigation into his wife Sánchez said it was a smear campaign by the right wing and the media He took five days off to reflect on whether
