Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has given his closest team a clear directive: no more concessions to judicial investigations without irrefutable evidence. The move follows Judge Juan Carlos Peinado's order sending Begoña Gómez's case to trial and withdrawing her passport. Peinado also suggested her police escorts could help an escape, a claim criticized by police union Jupol.
The government is closing ranks ahead of a tough final stretch of the legislative term. Sánchez plans to deliver a forceful speech in Congress, directly challenging the Partido Popular (PP) and arguing that parts of the judiciary are unfairly targeting his family. His instruction is to defend basic figures, including former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and avoid further political casualties unless necessary, as happened with former PSOE officials Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos.
Zapatero, recently defended by Sánchez in Brussels, has become a symbol of this new stance. A separate investigation into jewelry associated with the former prime minister has focused attention on more than 60 pieces reportedly valued at over €1.3 million by experts from jeweler Ansorena. The pieces include sets with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Zapatero says the 12 most valuable items were a gift from Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz during the monarch's official visit to Spain on 18 to 19 June 2007. He disputes the valuation, describing the items as a courtesy gift worth roughly €30,000 to €50,000.
Judge José Luis Calama is overseeing the jewelry inquiry in proceedings connected to the Plus Ultra rescue investigation. It is examining the items' origin and their possible tax and customs treatment. A witness has reportedly alleged that they were a commission linked to the high-speed rail project to Mecca, and placed their accounting value above €4 million. That account conflicts with Zapatero's explanation and the Ansorena appraisal. It remains an allegation under investigation, not a judicial finding. The reported legal questions include possible tax liabilities, unexplained asset growth, money laundering and whether import duties or VAT were due. No final ruling has established wrongdoing by Zapatero.
The judge's decision in Gómez's case has reinforced claims within the executive that a coordinated judicial, political and media campaign is targeting the government, a narrative voiced by ministers Óscar Puente and Óscar López. Tensions are high ahead of Sánchez's parliamentary appearance, and the prime minister is urging his party to regain morale and go on the offensive. Separately, Judge Santiago Pedraz is examining allegations involving political operators and former PSOE member Leire Díez. Reporting by Artículo14 says the inquiry includes whether lawyers' contracts were used to conceal payments or seek information that could undermine investigations into judges, prosecutors, Guardia Civil officers and UCO investigators. The allegations have not established that the government coordinated such efforts.
Sánchez has previously distanced himself from party members under investigation, including Ábalos and, later, Cerdán. Now, but, he is drawing a line, vowing to support Zapatero and other officials, including Mercedes González, director general of the Guardia Civil, and Ana María Fuentes Pacheco, the PSOE's federal administrator. Fuentes is under investigation in proceedings overseen by Pedraz. Information from Artículo14, she testified as an investigated person and said she followed Cerdán's instructions when engaging lawyers. The report says Pedraz ordered the PSOE on 6 October 2026 to provide information about lawyers hired by the party, following a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The inquiry concerns two professional engagement documents, one connected to lawyer Ismael Oliver and another involving Jacobo Teijelo, Cerdán's lawyer. The PSOE reportedly said its focus on an election campaign had delayed the requested information.
Within the government, officials are uneasy about the controversy surrounding Zapatero's jewelry. Some privately express disappointment and are waiting for a public explanation. Yet the prevailing view is that the political stakes outweigh the optics of the case, particularly compared with controversies involving opposition figures, such as the financial gains of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner. Sánchez has left it to Zapatero to decide whether to hand the jewelry over to the state.
Ministers increasingly believe the case against Zapatero could be annulled. It reportedly hinges on mobile-phone data from a Venezuelan national that may have been obtained in the United States without proper judicial authorization. The government trusts Zapatero's legal defense and sees the case as a legal and political battle, with elections on the horizon and the left's morale low, according to recent polls.
Sánchez is preparing to highlight the government's achievements since 2018 and contrast them with the PP's record, including corruption cases linked to the party's headquarters. The strategy is to frame the current wave of judicial actions as part of a broader attempt to destabilize the government, rather than as isolated incidents of wrongdoing. Reporting by El Correo describes a separate investigation into whether a group involving Cerdán and Díez sought information to discredit investigators and witnesses or disrupt politically sensitive judicial proceedings. Those allegations remain under investigation.
Inside the government, ministers argue that now is not the time for self-criticism or further resignations. Their focus is on resisting what they describe as a serious operation to unseat the government by any means. Tensions between Spain's executive and judiciary have risen, while high-profile corruption cases have affected both major parties. The PSOE and PP have each faced scrutiny over senior figures, and these developments could influence the balance of power ahead of the next general election, expected in 2027 but potentially called earlier.
