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Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero volition statesman 2 days of unprecedented tribunal hearings connected Wednesday (June 17, 2026) suspected of power peddling, the latest corruption matter threatening the leftist government.
The probe into the Socialist titan comes arsenic a drawstring of graft probes into Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's household and erstwhile apical governmental allies person threatened to topple his number coalition.
Clashes with U.S. President Donald Trump and virulent disapproval of Israel person made Mr. Sanchez a planetary progressive star, but the scandals person eroded the home lasting of 1 of Europe's fewer remaining Socialist leaders.
Mr. Zapatero, who governed Spain from 2004 to 2011, was placed nether ceremonial probe past period for alleged power peddling successful transportation with the bailout of tiny hose Plus Ultra successful 2021. Plus Ultra received 53 cardinal euros ($61.5 million) of nationalist wealth aft the COVID-19 pandemic paralysed planetary travel.
Investigating justice Jose Luis Calama has said Mr. Zapatero allegedly headed a "stable and hierarchical" operation that utilized "opaque fiscal channels" to conceal the question of wealth and get bribes for his illicit manoeuvring. Mr. Zapatero has denied the allegations, portion Mr. Sanchez has expressed "full support" for his mentor.
A constabulary hunt of Mr. Zapatero's bureau recovered jewellery and luxury watches valued astatine 1.3 cardinal euros, starring Mr. Calama to probe further alleged offences of taxation fraud and smuggling. Mr. Zapatero's entourage attributes the hoard to a household inheritance.
Mr. Zapatero is owed to talk astatine the Audiencia Nacional tribunal successful Madrid from 09 a.m. (0700 GMT) — becoming the archetypal erstwhile oregon serving Spanish Prime Minister to state arsenic a fishy successful a corruption probe.
"What is astatine involvement is the estimation of idiosyncratic who has become... the motivation beacon of Pedro Sanchez and the existent Socialist party," Astrid Barrio, a governmental subject prof astatine the University of Valencia, told AFP.
Government nether threat
Mr. Sanchez vowed to cleanable up Spanish authorities upon taking powerfulness successful 2018 aft the main blimpish Popular Party was convicted successful its ain graft affair. But a two-year-long probe into his woman Begona Gomez for alleged power peddling had already shaken the government, with a determination to nonstop her to proceedings perchance coming successful days.
Verdicts are besides owed successful abstracted corruption trials of Mr. Sanchez's erstwhile right-hand antheral Jose Luis Abalos and his member David Sanchez. Recent revelations astir an ongoing constabulary probe into a erstwhile Socialist activistic suspected of starring a crippled to sabotage investigations into Mr. Sanchez's entourage person piled further unit connected the government.
Amid the relentless watercourse of antagonistic headlines, the Socialists person suffered 4 determination predetermination drubbings since precocious 2025, successful a imaginable precursor to adjacent year's nationalist vote. The blimpish and far-right absorption person demanded Mr. Sanchez's resignation and aboriginal elections, saying the scandals person exposed systemic Socialist corruption.
Mr. Sanchez insists his authorities volition spot retired its word until 2027. But researcher Barrio said "two precise superior issues" could yet bring him down: being placed nether probe himself oregon a complaint of amerciable financing against the Socialists.
