While Spain’s right-wing main opposition party, the People’s Party (PP), has been recently gaining momentum against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist-led government over a string of corruption scandals, the party now finds itself embroiled in a damaging controversy of its own.
The focus is on Cristóbal Montoro (main image), the PP’s former finance minister, who is facing allegations of influence peddling.
Montoro is accused of having created a lawyer’s office, known as the ‘Equipo Económico’ (‘Economic Team’), with connections to the finance ministry.
This office allegedly received illicit payments from gas and energy firms in exchange for favourable policy decisions. Investigators claim that between 2008 and 2015, Montoro and 27 others – including high-ranking treasury officials – collected over €11 million from major energy sector players.
Judge Rubén Rus, who is overseeing the police inquiry, stated in his findings that ‘the economic team received large commissions in return for its capacity to influence legislative and executive powers’ during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The judge added that ‘the office was merely a vehicle to access the finance ministry’.
In his report, the judge noted that gas companies had previously tried – and failed – to shape legislation via various lobbying efforts. However, those same companies were successful once Montoro’s team became the intermediary.
‘Within a short period of time and for no apparent reason, they obtained the desired legislative reforms,’ the report said, primarily referring to tax reductions.
Further allegations suggest that Montoro also misused his position to gain access to confidential tax files belonging to political figures within his own party, including Esperanza Aguirre, the former Madrid regional president.
Journalists, public figures and celebrities were also reportedly targeted, among them tennis champion Rafael Nadal, art patron Carmen Thyssen, and Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, son of former Catalan president Jordi Pujol, who himself was under corruption investigation.
There are claims that then-Prime Minister Rajoy had been alerted to Montoro’s actions but chose not to intervene.
Montoro stepped down from the PP on Thursday and released a statement asserting that ‘there is no proof of any of the accusations’.
The revelations come as a major setback for current PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, whose recent political approach has involved persistent criticism of Sánchez over corruption probes involving his PSOE socialist party. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez vows not to quit, and presents 15-point anti-corruption plan.
Responding to the developments this week, Feijóo maintained his stance against corruption regardless of political affiliation. ‘What needs to be investigated must be investigated,’ he said.
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Hacienda acusa a Cristóbal Montoro de vender sus acciones en el bufete a un precio irreal. La Agencia Tributaria constata que las empresas de los socios de Equipo Económico no tenían actividad alguna https://t.co/U38llSX7i9
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) July 19, 2025
El correo que originó el caso Montoro: “La vía directa es pagar a Equipo Económico que tiene contacto directo con el ministro”https://t.co/6liKqI8HKP
— elDiario.es (@eldiarioes) July 19, 2025
Una investigación de @pedroagueda
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