The judicial minefield of Sánchez until the Spanish elections

MadridIf the previous Spanish legislature (2019-2023) was marked by judicial cases against the independence movement, the current one has become a veritable judicial minefield for the PSOE. The common thread between the two was, moreover, the amnesty, which Pedro Sánchez committed to approving to secure the votes of ERC and Junts for his investiture. Although its application, two years after its approval, has not yet been completed – with more than a hundred politicians, activists, and public officials with pending proceedings – one of the tangible effects of the measure has been the anger of the political and judicial right wing over the socialists' concession. In fact, the legislature began with constant protests in front of the PSOE headquarters, encouraged by the far-right and also by PP officials.

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This profound unease in certain conservative circles has inflamed Sánchez's current term with street protests, calls to action – like the "whoever can, should act" from former Popular Party president José María Aznar shortly before the investiture – and the controversial condemnation of the State Attorney General. Hence, the PSOE attributes the succession of judicial scandals in his circle to a political operation to overthrow him "with methods that are not at all democratic," in the words of minister Óscar Puente. What is undeniable is that, if Sánchez maintains the objective of completing the legislature, the path will not be easy and will be full of possible detonations.

The alleged sewers of the PSOE

The Leire Díez case

Sánchez's latest scare, in the middle of this week, with the entry of the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard into the socialist state headquarters, is related to the Leire Díez case. The National High Court judge Santiago Pedraz is investigating the alleged existence of a PSOE plot led by former party number three Santos Cerdán, also under investigation for the Transports case – for alleged irregular awards – and which centers on the so-called PSOE plumber. It is expected that in the coming days the secrecy of the investigation will be lifted and more details will be known, including the content of the UCO report that motivated the searches. The case has other ramifications in the Madrid courts.

The investigation against Zapatero

The Plus Ultra case

Also under investigation at the National High Court is the Plus Ultra case, which is investigating whether former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero committed influence peddling so that the airline could obtain a public bailout during the pandemic. It has not been two weeks since the indictment of another of the political pillars of sanchismo came to light, but the reports from the National Police's Economic and Financial Crime Unit (UDEF) that motivated last week's searches have already become known. Besides Zapatero's testimony, on June 17 and 18, a trickle of information is expected about the alleged scheme that delves into the content of what was found in Zapatero's office, his secretary's mobile phone, or his daughters' company.

The trial of the president's brother

The David Sánchez case

In parallel with the outbreak of these two cases, Sánchez has seen his brother, David Sánchez, take the stand this week at the Badajoz Court. The trial for malfeasance and influence peddling in the creation of his job at the Badajoz Provincial Council, which also affects the former leader of the PSOE in Extremadura, will continue for another week until it is ready for sentencing. The forecast is that David Sánchez will testify as the accused next Thursday, June 4. He faces three years in prison.

The suspicions against the woman

The Begoña Gómez case

Together with the case of his brother, that of Sánchez's wife is the one that affects him most closely on a personal level. It was what caused him to stop for five days to reflect in April 2024 and, since then, he has had no respite. Begoña Gómez is now one step away from sitting on the defendant's bench for the crimes of influence peddling, embezzlement, business corruption, and misappropriation. She will once again make headlines on Tuesday, June 9, when the investigating judge of Madrid, Juan Carlos Peinado, has summoned her as a preliminary step to send her to trial, which the magistrate is planning with a jury.

The purchase of sanitary material

The Koldo case, Ábalos or masks

The case of the Spanish president's political circle that has already gone to trial is that of the masks at the Supreme Court, which saw the other former number three of Sánchez in the PSOE, José Luis Ábalos, his former right-hand man, Koldo García, and the commissioner Víctor de Aldama, sit on the defendant's bench. Legal sources consulted by ARA expect the sentence to be made public in about fifteen days. In parallel, Ismael Moreno continues to investigate other mask contracts at the National Court. Under scrutiny is the sanitary material purchased by the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, with Francina Armengol and Ángel Víctor Torres in the spotlight.

Awards to Transports

The Santos Cerdán case

Another case, still under investigation at the National Court, in the hands of Judge Ismael Moreno, and which again affects Ábalos and Koldo, is that of public works tenders in the Ministry of Transport. The other main person investigated is Santos Cerdán. The case has been in hibernation for months and the crux of the matter is the long-awaited asset report from the former right-hand man of Sánchez. The judge requested it almost a year ago, on June 20, 2025, and nothing is known about it yet. The former president of Adif, Isabel Pardo de Vera, is also under investigation in relation to this case.

The shadow of socialist financing

The case of cash payments

However, of all these cases, the issue that Sánchez's parliamentary allies consider a red line that could definitively bring him down is the one related to socialist financing. Although the PSOE has denied any irregularity, Judge Moreno of the National Court himself opened a separate piece, under seal, at the end of 2025, related to cash payments made by the party, which so far has not led to any charges pending the evolution of the investigation.