Spain - July 2025

On 17 July, a lower court charged former finance minister Cristobal Montoro, along with 27 others, including high-ranking officials, in a corruption case involving the creation of a criminal network that altered laws to benefit gas companies during Montoro’s latest tenure between 2011 and 2018. Equipo Económico, a tax consulting firm originally founded by Montoro and involved in providing advice to businesses, has been implicated in the scandal, with the investigation looking into whether this firm went beyond legitimate ‘lobbying’ in influencing certain legislative projects to benefit its clients, securing the support of officials in the Ministry and the Tax Agency through kickbacks. Montoro resigned from his party membership in the Popular Party (PP) following the indictment. Current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the government will seek to repeal the fiscal privileges granted to the companies involved in the scandal. The investigation is ongoing.

Sources: Radio Televisión Española, El País, Cadena Ser