On 19 May, the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) announced that former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero had been placed under judicial investigation for alleged influence peddling and related offences linked to the 2021 state bailout of the airline Plus Ultra. This made Zapatero, a member of the ruling Socialist Party, the first former Spanish prime minister in the democratic era (since 1975) to be formally investigated in a criminal case. Zapatero denied all allegations, stating he never intervened in the bailout decision and that payments he received were lawful consulting fees. The investigation is ongoing.

Update: In June, the investigating judge kept Zapatero under formal investigation in the Plus Ultra case, citing ‘sufficient indications’, while he testified before court denying any wrongdoing and sought to annul parts of the proceedings over alleged procedural violations. The prosecution also opened a separate investigation after undeclared luxury jewelry was discovered during a May search of his office, also prompting, in July, the opening of tax and smuggling inquiries covering his 2021–2024 finances. Both cases remain under investigation.

Sources: El País, RTVE, EFE, Reuters

On 17 October, Mauritania inaugurated two migrant reception centres built and financed by Spain through the Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration (FIAP), a public organization under the Spanish Cooperation Agency, with additional funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund. The centres, which can accommodate around 200 people, will mainly host migrants from boats intercepted in Mauritanian waters while trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. The project is part of Spain’s outsourcing of migration management to Mauritania. According to Spanish authorities, the centres are modeled on facilities already operating in the Canary Islands and will house migrants for up to 72 hours. If individuals apply for asylum, Mauritanian authorities will be responsible for making the relevant decision. Opposition and rights groups have condemned the developments, citing Mauritania’s past record of migrant abuses and warning that the reception centers could in practice function as detention centers, and could erode oversight and accountability by Spain.  

Sources: El Salto Diario, El Diario, Europa Press, Global Detention Project, Human Rights Watch, Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration, OK Diario

On 9 September, a Supreme Court judge announced that Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz will stand trial for allegedly leaking confidential information to the press, what would constitute a breach of official secrecy under Spanish law. This marks the first time in modern Spanish democracy that an Attorney General will face criminal prosecution. The case revolves around the leak of an email sent by the lawyer of businessman Alberto González Amador (partner of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid and a member of the opposition People’s Party (PP)), to the prosecutor handling his tax fraud case. The email, containing details of a reportedly proposed settlement, was allegedly disclosed to the media by the Attorney General’s office. García Ortiz, who was appointed by the current government, has denied leaking any confidential information and continues to serve in office, with the judge having set bail at EUR 150,000. The outcome of the case remains pending, with the trial scheduled for the first half of November. 

Update: On 20 November, the Supreme Court convicted Attorney General García Ortiz, sentencing him to two years’ disqualification from public office, a EUR 7,200 fine, and EUR 10,000 in damages. By a 5-2 vote, the Court cited ‘strong circumstantial evidence’ that he or ‘someone in his circle’ disclosed the email, while the two dissenting judges argued proof was insufficient. The fast-tracked case has sparked controversy, with the Unión Progresista de Fiscales (UPF), a professional association of public prosecutors, seeking the scrutiny of UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers over potential irregularities. García Ortiz, who resigned, is expected to pursue an extraordinary challenge or appeal to the Constitutional Court, having stated that he needs to ‘study the sentence and prepare the brief well’.

Sources: Radio Televisión Española, El País (1), El País (2), Judiciary of Spain, Associated Press, Eldiario.es, Cadena SER, El País (3), El País (4), La Sexta, Radio Televisión Española (2)

On 18 August, a lower court indicted Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on charges of embezzling public funds in connection with her work at the Complutense University of Madrid. Prosecutors allege she misused public resources to pay her personal assistant for non-academic duties, adding to ongoing investigations into influence peddling dating back to 2024. Prime Minister Sánchez denounced the case as politically motivated ‘lawfare,’ coming after other legal proceedings involving his brother. Sánchez had also previously filed a complaint against the judge that handles the case, alleging judicial misconduct; but this was dismissed by the Madrid High Court. The proceedings against Gómez were initiated by the far-right group Manos Limpias (known for filing corruption-related lawsuits), with backing from the Vox party and the advocacy group Hazte Oír (which typically campaigns against LGBTQIA+ and abortion rights in Spain). The case is ongoing.

Sources: EU Observer, Cadena SER, El País, EuropaPress