The dispute over jewels kept by former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has put Pedro Sánchez in a delicate position. A preliminary appraisal commissioned by investigating judge José Luis Calama and conducted by specialists from the jewelry house Ansorena valued more than 60 pieces at over €1.3 million. Zapatero disputes that figure and previously described the collection as worth approximately €30,000 to €50,000. Although he speaks with Zapatero daily and continues to support him politically, Sánchez has made clear that he will not personally intervene. He says the decision to hand the jewels over to Patrimonio Nacional for public use rests with Zapatero.
At a press conference in Brussels following the European Council, Sánchez faced repeated questions about the jewels’ origin and fate. Zapatero says the 12 most valuable pieces were a personal gift from Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz during the king’s official visit to Spain on 18-19 June 2007, described as a “gift of courtesy.” He has said he did not declare them to Spain’s tax authorities because he held them without patrimonial intent. His then-minister Miguel Sebastián handed a similar gift over to the state, while Zapatero chose to keep the items. Sánchez avoided calling that a mistake but said he preferred the current system, under which official gifts are returned to the giver or transferred to state ownership rather than kept by presidents or their families.
The investigation is also examining the jewels’ provenance. An unnamed witness cited by El Debate reportedly told the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office that the jewels were delivered in 2019 and constituted an alleged payment connected to contracts involving the Hispano-Arab Consortium, not a royal gift received in 2007. The witness linked the allegation to construction contracts from 2011 to 2017 and a maintenance contract beginning in 2018, as well as to the Saudi railway project associated with the high-speed line to Mecca. This account conflicts with Zapatero’s explanation. It remains an allegation under examination, not an established judicial finding.
Asked whether he would return the jewels if he were in Zapatero’s place, Sánchez declined to answer directly, saying only Zapatero could make that decision. That position allows him to maintain support for the former leader while the investigation examines competing accounts of the jewels’ origin and whether they were a gift or consideration. The Ansorena appraisal and the accounts given by Zapatero and the witness form part of the evidentiary dispute. No final judicial ruling resolving it has been reported.
Sánchez refrained from criticizing Zapatero, pointing out that the Good Governance Code was introduced under Zapatero’s government in 2005. The code reportedly required officials to reject gifts beyond customary practice or transfer them to the state’s patrimony. Sánchez did not explain why the jewels have not been handed over, while acknowledging that the rules governing official gifts make their private retention difficult to reconcile with the system he supports. Whether those provisions apply to the pieces depends in part on the circumstances and capacity in which they were received.
Sánchez also addressed speculation about an early general election if the government fails to pass the budget. He said the next general elections will be held in 2027 and will not coincide with municipal and regional votes, ruling out the so-called “super Sunday” scenario. He left open whether the general election would take place before or after the local polls, saying political life is dynamic and the final decision will depend on future circumstances.
Sánchez’s position reflects his stated desire to complete the full legislative term, a point he made by referring to the history of early elections under previous Socialist governments. He argued that left-leaning administrations, like those on the right, should serve full four-year terms when possible. The stance comes amid pressure from within his party and from regional leaders, some of whom prefer an earlier election to avoid negative spillover from national politics.
Spanish rules on public officials’ gifts provide the regulatory backdrop to the dispute. The Good Governance Code formalized requirements for gifts received in an official capacity, including rejecting those beyond customary practice or transferring them to state patrimony. The investigation raises questions about valuation and how the rules apply if the jewels were received in an official capacity. Its outcome may shape the handling of similar cases, while the competing accounts remain unresolved.
