Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted on Wednesday that there was ‘no reason’ to withdraw support for former socialist (PSOE) premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, despite the growing corruption investigation surrounding him and fresh developments in several cases linked to the government.
Speaking in Rome after meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Sánchez also rejected renewed opposition demands for early elections, arguing that Spain needed ‘stability’ and defending his government’s economic and social record.
‘I think there is no sufficient reason, there is no reason to change that position,’ Sánchez told reporters when asked about his continued backing for Zapatero, who governed Spain from 2004 to 2011 and was formally placed under investigation last week. ALSO READ: Judge delays Zapatero’s Plus Ultra testimony as police seize jewellery and luxury watches from safe.
The prime minister reiterated his support for the presumption of innocence and said ongoing investigations did not overshadow the government’s achievements. ALSO READ: Sánchez rallies behind Zapatero, calls for ‘respect for the presumption of innocence’.
‘These investigations in no way undermine all the achievements this country is making in these very difficult times and we will continue in this endeavour,’ Sánchez said.
The remarks came as pressure mounted on Sánchez’s minority socialist-led administration, already weakened by a series of heavy regional election defeats and several corruption investigations involving figures close to the government and party. ALSO READ: Andalusia leaves Sánchez politically weakened as Spain edges further towards a PP-Vox era.
While Sánchez was at the Vatican, the Guardia Civil entered PSOE headquarters on Madrid’s Calle Ferraz to request documentation as part of an investigation involving former socialist member Leire Díez. At the same time, Judge Santiago Pedraz announced charges against PSOE manager Ana María Fuentes.
Díez is accused by Spain’s National Court of allegedly participating in a network aimed at undermining judicial investigations linked to the government or the party.
Sánchez stressed that the PSOE was cooperating with the judiciary.
‘The Socialist Party respects the judiciary’ and ‘cooperates’ with investigations, he said, noting that the party had already distanced itself from Díez after concerns first emerged.
‘Obviously, if there are irregular behaviours — new ones, I mean — we will act with the same firmness as before,’ he added.
The controversy surrounding Zapatero intensified earlier this week after investigators released new details linked to the so-called Plus Ultra case. The former premier has been summoned to testify in court next month over allegations of influence peddling, organised crime and possible money laundering connected to the Spanish government’s €53-million bailout of airline Plus Ultra during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. ALSO READ: Former Spanish PM Zapatero faces corruption probe over airline bailout.
The investigating judge suspects Zapatero may have used his political influence to help secure the rescue package and may have been connected to a broader network involving shell companies and behind-the-scenes lobbying within socialist government structures. Authorities are also examining alleged commissions and financial flows linked to the operation.
Media reports this week also revealed that investigators found luxury watches and jewellery of undetermined value inside a safe used by Zapatero at PSOE headquarters. Associates of the former prime minister said the items were family inheritances.
Zapatero, a long-standing ally of Sánchez and an influential figure on the Spanish left, has consistently denied wrongdoing and says neither he nor his family received payments linked to Plus Ultra.
Although former Spanish prime ministers have testified in corruption proceedings before, this marks the first time in modern Spanish democratic history that a former head of government has been placed under formal criminal investigation.
Despite growing pressure from the opposition PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and several regional and nationalist allies, Sánchez again ruled out calling snap elections.
‘There are some colleagues who are clearly asking me to call early elections, because they know I’ll have a larger parliamentary majority in the lower house and be able to govern much more easily. I understand that, but I can’t call elections for partisan interests. I have to call elections for the general interest of Spain,’ he said.
The next Spanish general election is scheduled for 2027.
Feijóo renewed his criticism on Wednesday, claiming Sánchez’s government ‘stinks’ of corruption.
The investigations surrounding the socialist administration also extend to Sánchez’s inner circle and family. His brother, David Sánchez, is due to stand trial for alleged influence peddling, while his wife, Begoña Gómez, remains under investigation in a separate corruption case.
Sánchez has repeatedly dismissed the accusations against his relatives as baseless and part of a politically motivated right-wing ‘smear campaign’. ALSO READ: Smear campaigns & ‘mafia practices’ – the alleged corruption saga against Spain’s PM rolls on.
Meanwhile, former transport minister José Luis Ábalos, once one of Sánchez’s closest allies, is awaiting a verdict in his own corruption trial after proceedings concluded earlier this month.
Enjoying the news from Spain in English? Add us as a preferred news source in Google.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Hoy he mantenido un encuentro con el Papa León XIV en el Vaticano.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) May 27, 2026
Compartimos ideas clave: poner los derechos de las personas en el centro ante los cambios tecnológicos y la llegada de la Inteligencia Artificial, una visión humanista de las migraciones, y defender la paz y el… pic.twitter.com/lb8UfI2nyG
VIDEO | Sánchez admite la “gravedad” de las investigaciones de la Audiencia Nacional que han llevado a un requerimiento en la sede del PSOE y garantiza la “total colaboración” con la justicia por parte de la dirección socialista. pic.twitter.com/IkaEiUsja8
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) May 27, 2026
Pedro Sánchez mantiene su total apoyo al expresidente José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, imputado en la causa de Plus Ultra, tras leer el auto del juez y conocer detalles del sumario.https://t.co/oxnbTC7BsM pic.twitter.com/kGdTKzfUjF
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) May 27, 2026
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.