Madrid judge summons Vice President Sara Aagesen in Air Europa bailout inquiry
A Madrid judge has summoned Third Vice President Sara Aagesen and nine other witnesses to testify over the 475 million euro bailout of Air Europa, days before the general election.
Pre-election witness summons in Madrid
Judge José María Escribano, the head of Madrid Court of Instruction No. 49, has issued a court order summoning ten witnesses in the ongoing criminal investigation into the 2020 state bailout of Air Europa. The list of witnesses called to testify includes Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen, alongside the head of the Moncloa Economic Office and chief economic advisor to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Manuel de la Rocha. The magistrate also called Correos President Pedro Saura, who previously served as secretary of state for transport, and former Sumar parliamentary spokesperson Íñigo Errejón. The court scheduled the depositions for 23 and 24 November 2026. This timing places the judicial hearings directly in the final week preceding Spain's general election, scheduled for 29 November 2026.
Legal claims over the 2020 Air Europa rescue
The judicial proceedings originated in May 2026, when the Madrid court admitted legal complaints filed by the People's Party (PP), Vox, and the Manos Limpias association. The magistrate is investigating alleged administrative irregularities surrounding the 475 million euro state loan granted to Air Europa in November 2020 through the Fund for Supporting the Solvency of Strategic Companies (FASEE). (One court report noted the disputed sum as 43 million euros). The complaint submitted by the PP contends that the airline did not meet the legal criteria required to access FASEE solvency funds managed by the state holding entity Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI). The filing specifies that Air Europa's parent company, the Globalia corporate group, held an outstanding tax debt of 5.8 million euros at the close of 2019, which opposition lawyers argue legally barred the carrier from obtaining public financial aid.
- Air Europa parent company Globalia records 5.8 million euros in tax debt
- Spanish government approves 475 million euro state rescue loan for Air Europa
- Madrid Court opens inquiry after admitting lawsuits from PP, Vox, and Manos Limpias
- Judge questions SEPI Vice President Bartolomé Lora as formal suspect
- Court issues order summoning Vice President Sara Aagesen and other officials as witnesses
- Scheduled witness testimony sessions begin at Madrid Court of Instruction No. 49
- Spain holds scheduled general election
The decision-making structure and SEPI management
The judicial investigation centers on the administrative decision-making chain that led to the Council of Ministers approving the rescue package. In its legal filing, the PP identified the FASEE management board as the core administrative decision-making unit that agreed to allocate public funds and set the loan conditions. The filing describes this board as an interministerial collegiate body attached directly to the Ministry of Finance. According to the court documents, Pedro Saura, serving as secretary of state under former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, and Manuel de la Rocha participated in several board meetings regarding Air Europa with voice but without voting rights. SEPI Vice President Bartolomé Lora remains the sole formal suspect in the case, under investigation for alleged administrative prevarication. During his court appearance in June 2026, Lora denied any irregularity in granting the aid, though he acknowledged that preliminary meetings were held before the bailout was processed.
Scope of upcoming depositions
The court's latest procedural order expands the testimony phase to examine additional former and current state officials. In addition to Aagesen, De la Rocha, Saura, and Errejón, the magistrate summoned former SEPI director José Ángel Partearroyo and current Patrimonio Nacional administrative council president Ana de la Cueva to appear in Madrid. Sara Aagesen and Íñigo Errejón are scheduled to deliver their witness statements on Monday, 23 November 2026, with the remaining witness sessions continuing through 24 November 2026. Following this round of witness statements, Judge Escribano will evaluate whether to keep Bartolomé Lora as the single investigated party or to extend formal criminal charges to other members of the FASEE management board who authorized the rescue funds.
