Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–2011) is currently the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by Spain’s National Court (Audiencia Nacional). On May 19, 2026, he became the first former Spanish prime minister to be formally charged while under investigation. He faces allegations of leading a stable and hierarchical influence-peddling structure aimed at obtaining economic benefits from public bodies. Specifically, the investigation, led by Judge José Luis Calama, examines his alleged involvement in the 2021 government bailout of the airline Plus Ultra. Prosecutors and the judge suspect he and his associates received approximately €1.95 million in irregular payments channeled through various companies, including his daughters' firm, Whathefav, and offshore entities in the United Arab Emirates. The charges and inquiries include: * Membership in a criminal organization * Influence peddling * Document forgery * Money laundering * Tax fraud and smuggling (related to the discovery of €1.3 million in jewelry and luxury watches in his office during a police search) Zapatero has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, asserting that his professional activities were legal consulting work and that the jewelry was a family inheritance. On June 17, 2026, he testified as a suspect; while Judge Calama maintained that evidence of criminality persists, he rejected requests to confiscate Zapatero’s passport, finding no significant flight risk. The investigation has since expanded to include his daughters and his personal secretary. Separately, in August 2024, the group Manos Limpias filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing him of collaborating with the Venezuelan administration of Nicolás Maduro, specifically regarding rights to operate a gold mine; Zapatero dismissed these allegations as surreal, and no public evidence has supported them.