In 2024 and early 2025, the Spanish political scene saw sharp drama: the Vox party twice attempted to initiate criminal proceedings against its former Congressional representative, Iván Espinosa de los Monteros. However, both complaints filed with the prosecutor’s office were dismissed due to insufficient grounds for opening a case.
The first attempt took place in the fall of 2024, when several Vox municipal deputies from Collado Villalba accused Espinosa. They claimed he allegedly pressured a local party representative to meet with a developer interested in the ‘Cantos Altos’ project. According to them, Espinosa asked her to consider the entrepreneur’s interests but did not insist on any particular vote. The prosecutor found no evidence of a crime in these actions and closed the case.
Unhappy with this decision, Vox’s legal department, led by Marta Castro, filed a new complaint in early 2025. They attached an anonymous letter and a legal opinion, accusing Espinosa of attempting to use his position for personal gain. However, this initiative was also unsuccessful: on March 21, the prosecutor again declined to open an investigation, considering the submitted materials insufficient.
A conflict erupted within the party itself. The Ethics Committee initiated disciplinary proceedings not only against Espinosa but also several other party members, including José Luis Ruiz Bartolomé and Pablo Pérez Gallardo. As a result of internal disputes, all Vox deputies in Collado Villalba abstained from voting on the ‘Cantos Altos’ project, allowing it to pass thanks to support from other factions.
In the summer of 2025, after the prosecutor rejected the case for the second time, the disciplinary proceedings were closed. The committee found the behavior of Espinosa and Ruiz Bartolomé to be unethical but refrained from imposing sanctions due to the statute of limitations.
The story gained attention after leaks to media outlets close to Vox. Espinosa himself, who had rarely appeared in public since leaving parliament in August 2023, unexpectedly returned to the spotlight. He launched his own think tank, positioning it as a platform for right-wing forces, and published the book ‘España tiene solución’ (Spain Has a Solution), where he offers an alternative to traditional conservative views. The center’s opening was attended by the general secretary of the Partido Popular, Miguel Tellado, while Vox’s representative Ignacio Garriga did not attend, citing a busy schedule.
The event took place at the Madrid College of Architects and was intended as a unifying platform for right-wing supporters. Internal disagreements within Vox appear to have intensified amid Espinosa’s new political initiatives.
