The spokesperson for Sumar in Congress, Verónica Martínez Barbero, has considered Zapatero's statement, in which he denies any irregularity in the Plus Ultra case, to be insufficient and has demanded that someone who was a "referent" for the progressive space offer more explanations and act with greater transparency.
"Zapatero is a person who was very relevant for progressives in this country, he has been and continues to be, and therefore we would want a little more than a written statement," she said to the media in the corridors of the Lower House, emphasizing that until recently the former president participated in PSOE electoral campaigns.
Her words come after the former president denied before National Court judge José Luis Calama having influenced the Pedro Sánchez government to approve the 53 million euro rescue of the Plus Ultra airline during the pandemic.
In an interview on "TVE", reported by Europa Press, Martínez Barbero added that citizens deserve a broader level of explanations and that, for Sumar, while respecting the work of Justice and Zapatero's presumption of innocence, merely denying the facts and calling for trust in the integrity of the former head of the Executive is not enough.
"Former President Zapatero is not just anyone. He is not for progressive citizens, he is not for the citizens of this country," she remarked, insisting that society demands "much more information" about his activities.
Sumar appeals to Sánchez and rules out breaking the Government
At the same time, she expressed her wish that the current president, Pedro Sánchez, in his appearance on June 24 in Congress, adopt Sumar's proposal to reform the statute of former presidents, which strengthens controls over their activities and is accompanied by other anti-corruption initiatives.
In parallel, Martínez Barbero has ruled out that Sumar will leave the Government over this issue, as their intention is to "work tirelessly" to pressure the PSOE and ensure that it deploys more progressive policies. The party insists on separating the Executive's actions from the case affecting Zapatero.
"We are here, we are in the Government to govern for the social majority, to make laws and to make measures so that people live better. I don't think it's logical to give that up," he reiterated, emphasizing that he does not fear an eventual motion of no confidence and that he finds it difficult to understand that a plurinational force like Junts could support an initiative that would place PP and Vox in La Moncloa.
They demand "very serious explanations" from the former president
For his part, the parliamentary spokesperson for IU, Enrique Santiago, stressed that, apart from Zapatero's statements, there are issues that require a "very serious explanation" from the former leader, such as the origin of all those jewels. "The courts will have to clarify," he indicated.
In the same vein, the Compromís deputy integrated into Sumar, Alberto Ibáñez, pointed out that, in relation to Zapatero, it is necessary to distinguish between the judicial sphere and the public sphere, in which the former president must offer many more explanations about his lobbying or the gifts he received during his time in La Moncloa. "Let him give explanations so that we can trust him again," he concluded.