Spain: Attacks on Prime Minister Sánchez's Health and Breakthrough in Koldo Corruption Scandal

The Spanish public debate has been dominated by an escalating conflict between the ruling camp and the opposition, which goes beyond the standard framework of political disputes. The main flashpoint has become the proposal by Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, who from the parliamentary podium demanded the declassification of Prime Minister Sánchez's medical history. Suggestions about the alleged illness of the head of government were immediately labeled by the government side as a "mud-slinging machine" and an attempt to spread disinformation. Even within her own Popular Party (PP), de Toledo's words caused visible discomfort, and the party leadership is trying to distance itself from these statements, aiming to close the topic. Simultaneously, law enforcement agencies have made significant progress in the multi-faceted investigation known as the "Koldo affair." The investigating judge of the Audiencia Nacional has summoned the key defendant, Víctor de Aldama, to hand over an envelope alleged to contain evidence of illegal financing of the PSOE party. Although the deadline for delivering the materials has been postponed to March, investigators are also analyzing the possibility of linking this case to the thread of the Plus Ultra airline and the role played by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez in contacts with the government. The Koldo affair erupted in 2024 after it was revealed that an advisor to former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos had allegedly benefited financially from contracts for protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the most serious corruption scandal directly affecting the inner circle of Spain's current prime minister. Another blow to the government's reputation is a report by the UCO concerning Isabel Pardo de Vera, the former Secretary of State for Infrastructure. Materials gathered by investigators indicate she played an active role in rigging contracts for masks and ventilators, facilitating contacts between businessmen and ministry officials. The Senate has decided to summon her for questioning for the third time, heralding a further escalation of tension between the government and the opposition. „Es la máquina del fango de la derecha, que no tiene un proyecto para España, sino solo una estrategia de destrucción del adversario.” (It's the right-wing mud-slinging machine, which has no project for Spain, only a strategy of destroying the opponent.) — Pedro Sánchez