Address by the President of the Government of Spain to the plenary session of Parliament to report on the political situation surrounding recent judicial investigations and the latest European Council meeting

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

Thank you very much, Madam President. Honourable members, good morning.

As the President has said, I am appearing before this legislative chamber to report, first of all, on the decisions taken at the most recent European Council, and also to discuss the judicial investigations that directly or indirectly affect the party I have the honour of leading.

I shall begin with the first item: the European Council meeting held on 18-19 June, which was, incidentally, the first since 2024 - it's hard to believe - at which the 27 governments reaffirmed our unanimous and unwavering support for Ukraine, thanks, amongst other things, primarily to Hungary's return to the European consensus. It also provided an opportunity to discuss the new geopolitical and geo-economic landscape that has emerged following the signing of the fragile agreement between the United States and Iran. And so that the Cypriot Presidency - to whom I would also like to pay public tribute for their work over the last six months - could present an initial proposal setting out the figures for what is colloquially known as the European budget.

Our position, honourable members, on this matter is well known. We have made this clear from this platform and also during my numerous public appearances. We believe that the European Union cannot be expected to do more with fewer financial resources than those provided for in the new EU budget. It must be more ambitious than its predecessors, as we must equip the European Union with the necessary tools, not only to defend itself against Putin's aggression in Ukraine and in Eastern Europe, but also to strengthen the social pillar in order to drive forward the digital and energy transitions, to invest in human capital, to protect Europe's rural areas and fisheries, to tackle the housing crisis - a crisis affecting all European citizens - and to strengthen cohesion policies that are not at odds with competitiveness policies.

Honourable members, I must tell you that the shift to the right or far right by many of these governments suggests they have learnt nothing from the last five years - from the response to Covid via the Next Generation funds - and that they wish to take us back to that neoliberal Europe of cuts and austerity. But, anyway, I can tell you right now that we won't let that happen. We want a strong European Union, not only in terms of its objectives on paper, but also one with the economic resources to enable it - as former Italian Prime Minister Letta and Draghi have told us - to tackle these challenges and defend Europe's interests on the global stage. And that, obviously, is not achieved through flags, nor solely through deregulation and empty slogans. It is achieved through an ambitious EU budget.

Honourable members, I now turn to the second topic of this address: the judicial investigations I mentioned earlier.

First, I wish to say the following to the citizens following these proceedings: I am fully aware that, in recent weeks, public discourse has been overwhelmed by a stream of news regarding judicial proceedings - news flashing across our screens, intermingled with rumours, half-truths, and falsehoods, thereby causing legitimate concern and understandable confusion among the public.

I want those citizens to know that I do not downplay - not in the slightest - the importance of these events or the investigations into them. In fact, I believe they are currently essential to understanding what is happening in our country, even beyond the strictly judicial realm.

That is why - quite apart from requests made by other parliamentary groups - I asked to appear before this Chamber to discuss and debate these matters with the time and attention they deserve. Let's begin, if I may, by examining the anatomy of this phenomenon. It is important to recognise that behind this barrage of headlines, leaks and speculation lie three distinct issues - three matters differing in nature and scale. Yet, certain political and media actors are attempting to conflate them in order to draw false equivalencies and confuse the public, creating an impression of widespread corruption that - let me assure you - simply does not exist.

Let us, therefore, discuss these three issues that are currently unfolding and overlapping in the public debate. The first involves a corruption case affecting the former Organisation Secretary of the Socialist Party. It is a case we first learned about over two years ago, the details of which are gradually coming to light. In February 2024, honourable members, we first learned of this case following accusations against José Luis Ábalos and his associate Koldo García, who allegedly accepted kickbacks in exchange for carrying out illicit activities. A year later, in June 2025, further facts emerged regarding Santos Cerdán, who allegedly used his position to favour certain companies and obtain personal gain in return. Last May, in 2026, we received new information indicating that Ms. Leire Díaz was also operating within that same group; she allegedly undertook irregular actions to investigate public officials.

Honourable members, we have now been made aware of the Supreme Court's judgement handed down this past Monday concerning José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García and Víctor Aldama; as a Government, we respect and abide by these judgements, as is only right, because we are convinced that in this country, as the great democracy that it is, there must be no room for impunity for corrupt individuals, whoever they may be.

As for the other investigations I have referred to, they are still ongoing. There are still issues to be resolved and evidence to be presented. In short, honourable members, I believe it is important that we do not jump to conclusions beyond what we know, and that we therefore respect the presumption of innocence and the judicial process. And I am also fully aware that judicial timelines are not the same as political ones. But I believe that, based on what we know, we can already say three things that I would like to share with the public.

Firstly, honourable members, I have never been aware of, nor would I ever have tolerated, any of these practices. That is the truth. Furthermore, let me say this: I do not do what others did to me, to my family and to dozens of political officials when the People's Party was in power.

Secondly, honourable members, as I have said, and indeed there are parliamentary groups that have raised this point in many other debates when we have had to discuss these matters. The second is that the Socialist Party has not been financed through irregular means. It has not done so. On the contrary, if anything of that sort has happened, it is others who have taken advantage of the party's resources.

And finally, honourable members, the third point is that we will not accept corruption as an inherent feature of human organisations. We will continue to work with the aim of eradicating it completely.

That is why, honourable members, when these facts came to light, we did not step aside; instead, we stepped forward. I apologised; we immediately dismissed those under investigation; I appeared before this chamber, and we placed all requested information at the disposal of the justice system and the State law enforcement forces and agencies. We renewed the Socialist Party's leadership and promoted measures - many measures - to strengthen control, oversight and corruption-prevention mechanisms within the Government. The Government has put forward many of these measures, which are now before Parliament, and we hope they will be approved. And that, clearly, falls within the remit of the Legislative power, not exclusively that of the Executive power.

And finally, this applies within the Socialist Party as well. You see, a year ago I appeared before the Socialist Party's Federal Committee and announced 13 reforms that we have since set in motion - reforms that my organisation has already fully implemented in less than a year. And, incidentally, I will be able to discuss them in much greater detail later in the debate.

However, I do wish to point out that the latest report from the prestigious non-governmental organisation, the Transparency Council, ranks my organisation - the Socialist Party - as the highest-scoring party in all of Spain. It is a report, honourable members, in which only two parties saw their scores drop. Only two parties saw their scores drop, and they are the very parties participating in this debate: the People's Party and Mr. Abascal's party. That is the level of commitment to integrity within their own organisations.

As regards the State Plan to Combat Corruption, the Executive power - as I mentioned earlier - has already done its part by processing all those measures. Most of them, as you are aware, honourable members, are included in that draft Organic Law on Public Integrity, which was approved at first reading by the Council of Ministers last February and is due to be debated in this legislative chamber before the summer.

Therefore, honourable members, if your parliamentary groups - particularly those on the right and the far right - are genuinely concerned about corruption, they should implement measures to prevent such cases of corruption from occurring. I ask you to demonstrate that commitment by voting in favour of advancing this preliminary draft law. This is a law that, incidentally, aligns with European Union recommendations and has benefited from the valuable support of the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Division of the OECD.

As you are well aware, honourable members, this is not solely the responsibility of the Executive power, but also of the Legislative power, particularly those organisations which have up to six times as many ongoing corruption cases as my organisation.

Let us therefore tackle the problem head-on and not mislead people, ladies and gentlemen. It is reasonable to assume that the trickle of news on judicial developments will continue in the coming months. There may be new findings or further legal proceedings. Clearly, the right-wing media and politicians will portray this as yet another example of this so-called political decline. But let us make no mistake about this. Unfortunately, the decline has already taken place, and what we are going to witness over the coming months is the persecution and purge that will follow.

And we, honourable members, we will support this process in every possible way - without exception and without looking the other way - because we want justice to be served and for those who have tarnished the good name of the Socialist Party and my Government to be held accountable.

So, to summarise, honourable members, to summarise, the first issue at hand is a case of corruption which, I must emphasise, we condemn unreservedly; we have taken action from the very outset, and we hope that its ramifications will gradually come to light and, where appropriate, be brought to trial.

The second of the issues currently unfolding is the investigation into former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Regarding former Prime Minister Zapatero, I would like to point out the following: Firstly, there was not a single scandal during his time in office. Secondly, he has not held public office for fifteen years. Thirdly, the presumption of innocence applies to him more strongly than to almost anyone else. He is cooperating with the justice system, as he has stated. He has defended the legality of his private activities with great conviction, just as so many other former prime ministers have done. That conviction, along with his political track record, explains the confidence we - and I personally - have in him.

But we also know what he represents for the Socialist Party, as well as what he represents for the Right and the Far Right. He is the prime minister who championed feminism as a force for social transformation. Yes, he was the prime minister who withdrew us from the illegal war in Iraq. He was the prime minister who put an end to violence in the Basque Country and across Spain. And indeed, he is a former prime minister who advocates for understanding among the peoples of Spain. And that, quite frankly, upsets more than a few people.

In any case, honourable members, this investigation is at a different stage, so we must be candid. What is the Government's role in this matter? It is the Government's duty to clarify whether preferential treatment was involved in the loan granted to an airline called Plus Ultra. And the answer is clear, categorical and unequivocal: there was none. There was none.

The loan, honourable members, the loan granted to that airline was entirely legitimate, just as we did with all airlines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, honourable Members. Just as all governments did - not just in Europe, but across the world. It was executed in accordance with the law, honourable members, with all necessary safeguards and - incidentally - following the same logic and European procedures used to grant aid (and I say "aid," whereas we granted loans) to rescue those 25 European airlines. In fact, honourable members, the granting of the loan to Plus Ultra was subsequently upheld by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Court of Auditors and the General State Audit Office.

Therefore, honourable members, and citizens following this address, there should be no shadow of a doubt regarding the actions of the Executive, of the Government. And to anyone who wishes to put forward such a claim, I ask that they do not speculate, do not insinuate, do not whisper - but back it up with evidence.

We, honourable members - and I would like to convey this to the public - are very calm and very confident about the work we have done.

The third issue, alongside President Zapatero and the corruption case involving the former Secretary for Organisation - all of which form part of this legal tangle - are the cases brought against my family. Against my wife and against my brother. You will understand, honourable members, that it is not easy for me to speak about them, because they affect people I care about and because I know, without the slightest doubt, that they are based on unfounded accusations, on a pattern of harassment and smear campaigns that we have seen unfold in other countries and Western democracies.

This pattern is structured around three stages, which we have verified and have, moreover, shared with all of you, as well as with the public via the media on numerous occasions. Firstly, the dissemination of false information via certain "pseudo-media" outlets that survive, honourable members, not on revenue from their readers, but on public funding from People's Party governments and support from specific lobby groups. Complaints are then lodged by organisations linked to the far right, which are based exclusively on press cuttings from these so-called media outlets and, therefore, on hoaxes and disinformation. And, finally, the initiation of legal proceedings which all too often drag on for years, regardless of whether the allegations are ultimately disproved or the case is dropped. In my wife's case, honourable members, the preliminary investigation has been ongoing for more than two and a half years.

In short, first comes the hoax in the form of a headline, then the complaint, and finally the damage. Damage to one's reputation that clearly plays on the fact that the pace of the justice system differs from that of politics and the media. It also capitalises on the lack of integrity shown by certain digital media outlets, as well as the indecency of some political parties, which are even prepared to call for harsher sentences, both for my brother and for those around me.

Honourable members, I am not going to use this platform to assert my family's innocence. They will do so themselves in court. However, I would like to share with members of the public who are interested in these cases five facts that are absolutely indisputable and irrefutable.

Firstly, according to the Civil Guard itself - the UCO - the post for which my brother is currently on trial was created on 10 October 2016 and the vacancy was advertised on 19 May 2017, that is to say, during a period when I held no position within the Socialist Party and, in fact, on the latter date I was not even a member of this Parliament.

Secondly, an investigation into my brother was launched after a far-right association accused him of holding 1.5 million euros in shares and committing tax fraud in Portugal. In fact, during many parliamentary debates, both the People's Party and the far-right - and I am convinced this is happening again today - have regularly used many of these false accusations. Moreover, they have done so with absolute shamelessness, never even apologising when the claims were debunked - not by my brother, nor by the government, but, in this instance, by the judicial investigation itself. It has already been proven that both allegations were completely false.

Thirdly, my wife started working at the Complutense University of Madrid in 2012 - that is, two years before I was elected General Secretary of the Socialist Party and six years before I was elected President of the Government of Spain.

Fourthly, the total revenue my wife received for heading the special chair and developing software amounts to zero euros. Zero euros.

And fifthly, the investigation against my wife - and also against my brother - has proceeded against the recommendation of the Public Prosecutor's Office. In my wife's case, she has been the subject of 15 total or partial reversals by the Provincial Court and half a dozen complaints from the General Council of the Judiciary, culminating in precautionary measures which, honourable members, I believe go beyond all bounds of reason, even calling into question the work of the National Police Force.

Honourable members, on examining these facts, everyone can draw their own conclusions; I am going to share mine with you and with the public.

First, I will place my trust in my country's justice system, even though there are actions that are evidently very difficult to agree with or comprehend, such as those I have described from this platform. I will place my trust in our country's judicial system, because I know that the vast majority of judges perform exemplary, essential and objective work.

What I ask of the justice system, honourable members, is that it be fair - that it be fair. And so, members of the People's Party and Vox: feel free to be as outraged as you like upon learning of the actions of certain individuals - no matter how much of a scene you make, you will not be more outraged than I am, believe me. But do not be hypocritical; do not be hypocritical or cynical. Do not pose as defenders of the constitutional order when you are systematically violating the separation of powers and the division of competencies regarding this Parliament. Do not crucify an Attorney General - or former Attorney General - when, week after week, you shamelessly and publicly boast of possessing privileged information that should remain confidential due to judicial secrecy rules. Do not speak of the "sewers of the state" when you yourselves are currently on trial for orchestrating a "patriotic police" force - a unit used to spy on over a hundred political rivals and journalists for years, and to fabricate false evidence against them. Do not lie by claiming this is the most corrupt government in history when you have more than 30 open cases involving 150 implicated individuals. So, for once, do not apply double standards.

Honourable members, this is the reality of the situation. These are the three elements that make up the dark cloud currently overshadowing our public debate. A flagrant and serious case of corruption involving specific individuals who exploited their influence within the Socialist Party and the Government for financial gain.

Secondly, an investigation into President Zapatero, on which no conclusions can yet be drawn, and regarding which the progressive coalition government has nothing to hide and, naturally, nothing to regret.

And, thirdly, a series of coordinated actions aimed at undermining the Executive's work through personal attacks, disinformation campaigns and lies.

Nothing more, nothing less.

And against this backdrop, for me the question is not whether we should carry on. The question is: how can we not carry on? Because, honourable members, if embers of corruption still remain in our country, it is evident that a government like ours - and not a government formed by the People's Party and VOX - is the one capable of stamping them out.

Because when we uncovered cases such as those we have come across, we did not cover them up; we pursued them. And because we work for the people, not for the elites.

Honourable members, I understand, I fully acknowledge, the public's anger; I understand their frustration and their disappointment. I understand that after watching a stream of such cases on the news for half an hour, people might be tempted to think we are all the same - that it makes no difference what priorities, ideas or principles those of us in positions of responsibility hold, because in the end, it all amounts to the same thing.

But that, honourable members, is simply not true. Because sending 700,000 young people abroad because there are no jobs for them in Spain is not the same as creating three and a half million jobs, as we have done.

Honourable members, imposing a "sun tax" is not the same as leading the energy transition and securing affordable electricity for our country - making us more resilient to energy shocks caused by wars abroad.

Managing crises through a neoliberal response is not the same as doing so through the ERTEs we proposed during the pandemic or through direct support for the self-employed. Freezing wages and pensions is not the same as increasing them year on year.

Transferring funds to public hospitals is not the same as transferring them to a private company such as Quirón. Honourable members, abandoning those in need of care - as happened during the neoliberal response to the financial crisis - is not the same as bolstering funding for the National Care System as never before, as we did yesterday at the Council of Ministers.

Having a month's leave when your child is born is not the same as having four. Defending the dignity and rights of the LGBTI community during Pride Week is not the same as curtailing them. Honourable members, supporting genocide and illegal wars is not the same as defending peace and international law. Imposing measures is not the same as reaching agreements. Repealing is not the same as building. None of these things are the same. Not all politicians or all parties are the same.

Of course, we're not perfect - we know that - nor is our work complete. We need to do much more to ensure, for example, access to housing; to strengthen the public health system - which is, unfortunately, currently in the hands of many governments that do not believe in public healthcare; to raise wages, which are still far too low; and to put an end to the injustices that remain to be resolved. Honourable members, that is the reality. It is evident. But it is equally evident that the solution to these problems does not lie with the right or the far-right; it lies with the centre and the left of this chamber.

Honourable members, this country's elites know it well; Prime Minister Netanyahu, other foreign leaders and techno-oligarchs know it too; and the deputies from the People's Party and VOX know it as well. That is why they do not talk about the economy or employment. Nor do they talk about social policies. That is why they do not tell us what their energy plan is or what their international positioning strategy is, although it seems quite clear from the stance they have taken here what these would be. That is why, honourable members, they never stop spreading rumours, manipulating the facts and slinging mud in the public debate.

Honourable members, I repeat: we are not infallible, but we will not make the mistake of staying silent, of giving up, or of forgetting that this is not about us or them, but about millions of Spaniards whose well-being and future depend on the decisions the Government of Spain makes every Tuesday in the Council of Ministers.

That's why we clean whatever needs cleaning. That is why we will defend the truth, while others seek to bury it under lies. And we will continue to govern, Madam President, so that those who need it most have the support of their government - and, I hope, of the parliamentary majority in this Parliament as well.

That's all, and thank you very much, Madam President.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)