Spain's government hit by sweeping corruption probes

In June 2026, Spain's political landscape was dominated by a series of high‑profile corruption investigations. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his administration against accusations of a "cloud of corruption," while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded Sánchez's resignation and called for early elections. The judiciary pursued several cases: former deputy Juan Bernardo Fuentes Curbelo ("Tito Berni") faced an eight‑year prison request for criminal organization and bribery; former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was investigated for allegedly receiving €200,000 to influence a Peru‑linked business deal; and former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the "mask scandal." Additional probes targeted the Soria city council for irregular contract awards and Begoña Gómez over passport issues.

The coverage also highlighted systemic challenges: a train incident that stranded about a thousand passengers, a rise in temporary contracts—especially among workers under 25— and a wave of micro‑enterprise closures driven by inflation and rising labor costs. Parliamentary debates addressed the railway infrastructure crisis, labour reforms, and a proposal for a paid climate‑related leave.