Zapatero’s secret meetings with Montero over Plus Ultra rescue

Investigative journalist Ketty Garat disclosed a series of discreet meetings between former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and former finance minister María Jesús Montero. One meeting took place on 7 July 2021 in Montero’s ministry office, just days before the dismissal of José Luis Ábalos, and was arranged through a coded note “Ascensor ministra” to avoid the usual visitor route. Garat’s documents, sourced from the email archive of Zapatero’s secretary Gertrudis Alcázar, show that up to eight meetings were held while Montero headed the Treasury, often scheduled with very short notice and sometimes attended by representatives of private firms.

The meetings are linked to the €53 million public rescue of the airline Plus Ultra, which was administered by the State‑Owned Industrial Holdings Agency (SEPI) under Montero’s department. The rescue remains under investigation by Spain’s Audiencia Nacional. The current government has sought to distance itself from Zapatero’s involvement; Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Zapatero would have to answer any questions in court, while Montero defended her trust in Zapatero and rejected claims of undue influence.