Spain’s political turmoil has entered a new and potentially decisive phase. The conviction of former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, once one of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s closest allies, has delivered one of the most severe blows yet to the Socialist government.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
The Spanish Supreme Court has found Ábalos guilty on a series of corruption-related charges linked to the so-called Koldo affair, a scandal centred on alleged irregularities in public procurement contracts awarded during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ruling marks a dramatic downfall for a politician who, until recently, occupied the very heart of power in Madrid.
Ábalos, a former PSOE organisational secretary and one of the key architects of Sánchez’s rise to power in 2018, was for years regarded as the Prime Minister’s most trusted political lieutenant. His conviction is therefore being interpreted by many analysts as far more than the downfall of a former minister; it is seen as a serious political setback for the entire Sánchez project.
According to the court, Ábalos benefited from a network of illicit commissions linked to government contracts for medical supplies during the pandemic. His long-time adviser, Koldo García, has also been handed a lengthy prison sentence.
In unusually stark language, the Supreme Court warned that when senior public officials place personal interests above the public good, they undermine citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and weaken the legitimacy of the state itself.
The verdict comes at an especially sensitive moment for Pedro Sánchez. The Prime Minister’s political and personal circle is already under intense scrutiny.
Several judicial investigations involving Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, remain ongoing. She faces allegations relating to influence peddling, corruption and the misuse of public resources. Gómez has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the proceedings are politically motivated.
At the same time, David Sánchez, the Prime Minister’s brother, is also under investigation over the circumstances surrounding his appointment to a public post in the province of Badajoz. He too strongly rejects all allegations.
Pedro Sánchez himself is neither accused nor under formal investigation in any of these cases. Nevertheless, the growing number of judicial proceedings involving former close associates and family members has significantly increased political pressure on the Prime Minister.
Spain’s conservative opposition has renewed calls for an early general election, arguing that the government has lost control of its closest political circle. The government, meanwhile, maintains that the investigations demonstrate the strength and independence of Spain’s judicial system and insists that individual cases must not be used to discredit the PSOE as a whole.
Yet the conviction of José Luis Ábalos may prove to be only the beginning. Further investigations linked to the Koldo affair remain open, while other legal proceedings involving figures close to the government continue to cast a long shadow over Spanish politics.
For many observers, the question is no longer whether the scandals have damaged Pedro Sánchez politically, but how much further the fallout may go.
One thing, however, appears increasingly clear: with the conviction of José Luis Ábalos, the political noose around Pedro Sánchez has tightened once again.
