The Government maintains its strong support for former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, whom they continue to consider an "honorable" person, and asserts that it does not fear a desgaste in its relationship with its parliamentary partners, despite them beginning to show concern over the accusations against the former socialist leader.
Sources from Moncloa emphasize the "lack of documentary evidence" against Zapatero in the order issued on Tuesday by the National Court judge José Luis Calama, in which he imputes him with alleged crimes of influence peddling and belonging to a criminal organization.
The magistrate focuses his investigation on the public rescue granted by the Government to the Spanish airline with Venezuelan capital, Plus Ultra, and suspects that Zapatero may have intervened irregularly in exchange for economic compensation.
From Moncloa, however, they firmly maintain that the state aid approved in the midst of the Covid pandemic was in accordance with the law and dismiss the possibility that it could implicate the Executive. "There is nothing that affects the Government," they emphasize.
Challenge to a possible motion of no confidence
In recent days, allies such as Sumar, Compromís, and ERC have demanded explanations from the PSOE and have distanced themselves from the 'lawfare' thesis, meaning that the procedure responds to a judicial offensive directed against the Government.
Despite this shift, the Executive assures that it remains calm and does not consider the cabinet's stability to be in question. They insist that the mandate will extend until 2027, as President Pedro Sánchez emphasized in Congress to dispel any speculation about a possible early election.
"Whoever wants to present a motion of no confidence, let them do so," state governmental sources, challenging PP and Vox to activate the parliamentary mechanism to try to oust Sánchez, convinced that they do not have sufficient support to carry it forward.
Awaiting the UDEF report
The Government reproaches the PP for trying to directly link the Presidency to this case, when in Calama's order, they emphasize, "there is no evidence against the Government." Furthermore, they recall that the rescue of Plus Ultra was already the subject of a previous investigation in a court in Plaza de Castilla, and that the procedure was ultimately dismissed.
After the lifting of the secrecy of the investigation, the Executive now awaits the dissemination of the report from the Central Unit for Economic and Fiscal Crimes (UDEF) on which Judge Calama bases his resolution. "If there is evidence, it should be there," they point out.
Meanwhile, they insist that they maintain "maximum confidence in his innocence," reiterate that he is an honorable person, and assure that, to date, they have not found any indications that make them doubt that assessment.