Tension is rising within the Spanish government over the actions of Koldo García, former adviser to ex-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos. After Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described their relationship in the Senate as “purely coincidental”, Koldo has been actively pushing back in the media, insisting their connection was much closer.
Particular attention was drawn to a recent parliamentary inquiry into the Koldo case, where Sánchez also denied knowing Antxon Alonso, co-owner of Servinabar, and responded with irony to questions about the so-called ‘Peugeot gang.’ The prime minister often sidestepped direct answers, citing a lack of detailed knowledge.
Critical moment: Hearings in the Supreme Court
This week, the situation intensifies: on Thursday, the Supreme Court will review precautionary measures for Ábalos and Koldo, while businessman Víctor de Aldama is scheduled to testify at the National Court. Koldo, for his part, accused Sánchez of meeting with Arnaldo Otegi in the presence of Santos Cerdán and Antxon Alonso—an allegation firmly denied by both the prime minister and the leader of Bildu.
Within the government, there is a growing sense that it is Koldo, not Ábalos, who is dictating the defense strategy. This is fueling tension in Moncloa, as such behavior threatens efforts to contain the scandal to a few ‘bad apples’ and prevent it from spreading to the entire party and cabinet.
Ábalos’ fears and mounting media pressure
In July, during Sánchez’s address to Congress and in meetings with party members following Serdán’s arrest, a ‘red line’ was drawn: under no circumstances should evidence of illegal party financing be allowed. However, Koldo’s actions—his leaking of audio recordings and photographs—and Ábalos’s interview admission that he fears going to prison, have heightened internal tensions. Thursday is shaping up to be a key day for both figures in the case.
Since Sánchez described their relationship as ‘absolutely coincidental,’ the press has published numerous photos of him with Koldo. The prime minister’s own words also come to mind: he once called Koldo ‘the last socialist aizkolari’—a man he trusted so deeply that he entrusted him with safeguarding signatures for his 2017 run to become PSOE’s secretary general.
Ties with Bildu and transfer of prisoners
In a book published after taking office in Moncloa, Sánchez described how Koldo would spend the night at the office on Marqués de Riscal Street, refusing to leave important documents unsupervised. Even a neighbor once offered him a shower so he wouldn’t have to abandon his post for a minute.
Simultaneously, there is growing discussion about the closer ties between PSOE and Bildu, especially after Sánchez’s return to Ferraz. This rapprochement led to support for María Chivite’s government in Navarra, securing the mayor’s office in Pamplona in the 2023 elections, and most significantly, the large-scale transfer or release of ETA inmates to prisons in the Basque Country and Navarra.
Facts and figures: ETA prisoner transfers
To date, 99.4% of those convicted in ETA-related cases have been transferred closer to home: out of 176 people, 175 are now in prisons in the Basque Country and Navarra. Specifically, 70 are being held in Zaballa prison (Álava), 31 in Basauri (Bilbao), 40 in Martutene (San Sebastián), and, according to the AVT, the exact whereabouts of another 23 prisoners remain unclear. Eleven people remain in Navarra.
All this increases the pressure on the government, which is trying to maintain control of the situation and prevent the mask scandal and internal disagreements from undermining the party’s political defenses.
