Another investigation related to the actions of the head of government during the pandemic has concluded in Spain. This time, the case focused on decisions regarding financial support for the airline Air Europa. The review was prompted by opposition suspicions that the prime minister’s wife might be connected to the company, which, according to them, could have influenced the course of events.
In June of last year, the conflict of interest service was forced to reopen the case, although it had previously closed it. The reason was a request from the Madrid court, which demanded a more thorough examination of possible links between Begoña Gómez and the aviation business. As part of the renewed inquiry, documents were requested from various public and commercial bodies, including information from the company register, social services, and from Globalia, the group that owns Air Europa.
After analyzing the new materials, experts reached the same conclusion: there are no grounds for the accusations. Investigators did not find any evidence indicating an employment or managerial relationship between the prime minister’s wife and the companies involved in the case. Nor was any professional or commercial activity by Begoña Gómez found within Globalia’s structures. As a result, the service closed the case again, finding no reason for the head of government to recuse himself from making decisions on this matter.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition party did not miss the opportunity to use the situation to criticize the government in parliament, recalling the scale of financial support for the airline and hinting at possible personal interest. However, by the time of his speech, the agency had already completed a second investigation and once again found no violations.
It is worth noting that the case was initially launched back in the spring of 2024, when the opposition filed a complaint against the actions of the head of government. At that time, their arguments were deemed insufficiently substantiated, and allegations regarding the spouse’s influence on government decisions were not confirmed. After that, the opposition sought to have the case reviewed in court, which led to a new inquiry.
As a result, despite all the opposition’s efforts, none of the authorities found evidence of a conflict of interest or personal benefit for the prime minister’s family. Nevertheless, the decision of the conflict of interest agency may be challenged in court again if the opposition decides to continue its fight.
