Sánchez backs Zapatero’s innocence after his court appearance, as the Plus Ultra case widens to his daughters
Arriving at the European Council in Brussels, PM Pedro Sánchez voiced the PSOE’s full backing for former leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, whose daughters and secretary have now been imputed in the Plus Ultra investigation.
Backing the former leader
Pedro Sánchez stood firmly behind José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero after the former prime minister appeared before the Audiencia Nacional in the Plus Ultra case. The current prime minister said he had spoken to Zapatero in recent days and found him “calm”. Sánchez stressed the PSOE’s “backing, empathy and support” for Zapatero, his daughters and the party workers involved.
We trust in his innocence. We respect the justice system and we empathize with the situation that his family is going through with the imputation of his daughters.
Everything is going to be clarified.
The investigation widens
Judge José Luis Calama, leading the Plus Ultra probe, decided to impute Zapatero’s daughters Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa, and his secretary Gertrudis Alcázar. The move came at the request of the Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which had asked the magistrate to question them as formal suspects. This followed Zapatero’s own court appearance, after which he issued a statement proclaiming his innocence and respect for the judiciary.
‘Life goes on, the government acts’
Brushing aside opposition demands for a snap election or a no‑confidence motion, Sánchez insisted that his government continues its work. In remarks to reporters arriving at the EU summit in Brussels, he said that no matter how much talk there was of censure or early polls, “life goes on, the government acts”. He also took aim at PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, accusing him of double standards when raising concerns about Spain’s image, and pointed to news about Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s partner.
Life goes on, the government acts.
Iran‑war social shield
Beyond the Zapatero affair, Sánchez announced that the government would hold an early cabinet meeting on 29 June to extend the social‑protection decree approved last March. The measures are designed to shield households and companies from the economic impact of the war in Iran. Consultations with affected sectors and parliamentary groups are already under way to prolong the relief package.
