Zapatero denies influence peddling as judge questions his sole role at consultancy Análisis Relevante

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared as a suspect at Spain’s Audiencia Nacional on 17 June 2026, facing allegations that he led a criminal network that sold his influence to secure a €53 million government bailout for Plus Ultra during the pandemic. Judge José Luis Calama pressed the former prime minister on his ties to consultancy Análisis Relevante, run by his friend Julio Martínez Martínez, and on payments of over €800,000 that reached a company owned by Zapatero’s daughters.

The consultancy under scrutiny

Judge Calama doubted Zapatero’s description of himself as a mere consultant. He pointed to the company’s finances and told the former leader:

“If you had not been there, in my opinion and from what I see in the income and expenses, Análisis Relevante would have gone bankrupt.”

Zapatero insisted the reports he prepared were generic geopolitical documents, not tailored to individual clients, and that clients approached the firm because of his name. The judge retorted that a client “paid up” precisely because of Zapatero’s status.

Plus Ultra rescue denial

Zapatero repeatedly denied any contact with public officials about the bailout.

“I never spoke to anyone in the public sector about the rescue of Plus Ultra and that is unquestionable.”

He said he did not know the airline’s executives, having met its vice-president Julio Martínez Sola only once, at a lunch in 2024. Yet he acknowledged making a call to Banco Santander in 2020, at the request of Julio Martínez Martínez, so that Plus Ultra “would be attended to.” A letter dated 25 May 2020 cited “instructions from President Zapatero.”

Daughters’ company received over €800,000

Calama also focused on Whatefav, the digital agency run by Zapatero’s daughters Laura and Alba, which received €239,755 from Análisis Relevante and €561,440 from another investigated firm, Inteligencia Prospectiva. Zapatero said he recommended his daughters because “they work well” and stressed they never had a public contract.

Análisis Relevante239,755

Inteligencia Prospectiva561,440

Análisis Relevante

239755 €

Inteligencia Prospectiva

561440 €

Data from the article text

Courtroom tension

More than once the magistrate reproached Zapatero for interrupting.

“Get used to the fact that when I speak, you must remain silent and not rebut.”

The former prime minister insisted he never ordered the creation of an offshore company and called the accusation “radically false.”