There are dates that are recorded in the political memory of a country. May 19, 2026 is one of them. For the first time since the restoration of Spanish democracy in 1978, a former president of the Government has been formally charged by a judge of the National Court. The name is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, president between 2004 and 2011, and the cause is the Plus Ultra case: an investigation that began as a minor political controversy about the public rescue of a small airline and that five years later has led to a case that speaks of alleged criminal organization, influence peddling, instrumental companies abroad and connections with Venezuela.
Judge José Luis Calama, instructor of the case at the National Court, maintains in the indictment that there are indications of an "organized and stable structure" allegedly dedicated to exercising political influence and moving funds through a network of companies and institutional contacts. In that structure, according to the judge, Zapatero would occupy a central position. The former president, for his part, denies everything: he has publicly declared that he has no companies outside of Spain and that he did not make "any action" related to the rescue of Plus Ultra.
What is the Plus Ultra case and how did it get here
The origin of the case dates back to 2021, when the Government of Pedro Sánchez approved a rescue of 53 million euros for Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, a small low-cost company with routes mainly to Latin America. The rescue was carried out through the Fund to Support the Solvency of Strategic Companies (FASEE), created during the pandemic to save strategic companies. The granting of this aid to a low-profile airline, with documented ties to Venezuela and an opaque shareholder structure, generated political controversy from the first moment.
The subsequent judicial investigation uncovered successive layers of complexity. According to the indictment, in May 2020 the directors of Plus Ultra wrote to the vice president of Banco Santander "following instructions" from Zapatero to request an ICO loan. The former president would have acted as an intermediary between the owners of the airline and the financial and political institutions. The investigation also points to the existence of companies abroad linked to the defendants that would have been used to move funds.
Plus Ultra Case — Chronology and Charges
- 2021: Sánchez Government approves €53M bailout for Plus Ultra through FASEE
- Initial investigation: political controversy over the suitability of the rescue and links to Venezuela
- May 2026 ruling: Judge Calama charges Zapatero with criminal organization, influence peddling and money laundering
- Key charges: Zapatero would have acted as an intermediary "following instructions" to Banco Santander
- Zapatero's position: he denies any management and any company outside of Spain
- Historical precedent: first former Spanish president charged by a judge
The political reaction: earthquake in all parties
The political reaction was immediate and heated. The PP requested the urgent appearance of Pedro Sánchez before Congress and described the situation as "extremely serious", while its general secretary stated that "none of those around Sánchez would have been able to commit a crime without the participation of the Government." Vox called for early elections and its leader Santiago Abascal considered a motion of censure "necessary." The PP ruled out presenting it for the moment.
The PSOE, for its part, closed ranks with the former president. The party's Secretary of Organization conveyed the party's support to Zapatero and related the accusation to "the progress he made during his two terms in office," which "the right and the extreme right have never forgiven him." Pedro Sánchez publicly defended his predecessor. Sumar called for "maximum caution" but his spokesperson pointed to a paradox that is difficult to ignore: Zapatero is the first former Spanish president to be charged "when neither the former head of state [Juan Carlos I] nor Mariano Rajoy nor other former presidents who have usually carried out intermediation tasks with large companies, such as Aznar or González, have been charged."
The context of the rest of the pending cases
Zapatero's accusation does not come alone. It comes in a context in which the Sánchez Government accumulates several judicial fronts opened simultaneously. Begoña Gómez, wife of the president, has been investigated since 2024 for alleged illegal appropriation of industrial property and other charges. Former Minister José Luis Ábalos faces investigations into the Koldo case. Santos Cerdán, former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, also faces accusations. The Plus Ultra case connects all of these investigations into a narrative that the opposition is effectively using to wear down the Government.
It is the first time in 48 years of Spanish democracy that a former president has been formally charged. The historical data is so significant that no political assessment, neither for nor against, should overshadow it.
Zapatero's accusation does not mean conviction. In the Spanish judicial system, indictment (or "investigated" in the most recent terminology) is the step that allows the judge to take a statement from the suspect and advance the investigation. Between the accusation and an eventual conviction there is a long process that can last years. Zapatero's lawyers have already announced that they will appeal the order. The case will still have a long judicial journey. But the political event—the first former president investigated in Spanish democracy—has already occurred and cannot be undone.
Share this article
