José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain from 2004 to 2011, is currently the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. On May 19, 2026, he became the first former Spanish prime minister to be formally charged while under investigation. The National Court is probing allegations that he led a hierarchical influence-peddling structure designed to obtain economic benefits through intermediation with public bodies. The core of the investigation concerns the 2021 government bailout of the airline Plus Ultra. Prosecutors and Judge José Luis Calama allege Zapatero and his associates received approximately €1.95 million in irregular payments channeled through various consulting firms and his daughters’ company, Whathefav SL. Investigators suspect the use of shell companies and offshore entities in the United Arab Emirates to obscure the origin and destination of these funds, which may also be linked to the laundering of opaque capital from Venezuela. Additional investigations have emerged following a police search of his office, which uncovered jewelry and luxury watches valued at €1.3 million. The judge is currently examining allegations of tax fraud and smuggling related to these items, as Zapatero has not yet provided documentation regarding their origin or associated tax and customs payments. Zapatero has denied all wrongdoing, asserting that his income was declared legally and that the payments were for legitimate consulting work. He testified before the National Court on June 2, 2026, and again on June 17, 2026. The judge has rejected requests to confiscate his passport or impose preventive prison measures, ruling that he is not a flight risk, though the judicial investigation remains active.