A Spanish judge on Saturday ordered Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to face trial on charges of influence peddling and corruption. Investigative Judge Juan Carlos Peinado also ruled that Gómez must surrender her passport and appear before a court every two weeks, arguing she represented a flight risk.
Gómez is accused of using her position to influence government contracts awarded to a group of technology companies. The judge said she also misused public funds in hiring a consultant and inappropriately used software while serving as a professor at a public university. A businessman who allegedly benefited from the government contracts and the consultant will stand trial alongside her.
The two-year investigation began following accusations by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a pressure group that has pursued multiple legal cases, many linked to conservative causes. No trial date has been set.
What the Right Is Saying
Spain's main opposition People's Party (PP) went on the attack following the ruling, urging the government to call an early election. "Lawmakers and the architects of our constitution could never have imagined that the threats to our democracy could originate from the Spanish government itself," said Miguel Tellado, secretary-general of the PP.
Tellado argued that Sánchez's administration has systematically attacked judges, prosecutors, and media outlets while attempting to silence opposition parties. "This is unthinkable in any modern democracy," he said at a press conference Saturday.
What the Left Is Saying
Prime Minister Sánchez called the case against his wife part of a coordinated smear campaign by conservative political opponents seeking to topple his left-wing government, which has been in power since 2018. "Begoña Gómez is innocent," the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) stated. "For two years now, she has been the target of a political and judicial witch hunt. Today's development is just the latest escalation."
Government officials sharply criticized Saturday's decision as politically motivated. The party called it "an absolute scandal for democracy" in a statement. Sánchez, who has publicly opposed some policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, faces legal challenges on multiple fronts before Spain's general election due by next year.
What the Numbers Show
Gómez has been under investigation for approximately two years since Manos Limpias first filed accusations against her. The pressure group has pursued multiple high-profile legal cases, with many observers noting connections to conservative causes and actors.
Sánchez's government has held power since June 2018, surviving multiple confidence votes and political crises. Spain must hold general elections by late 2027 at the latest. Earlier this week, former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared before a different judge regarding his alleged role in a government airline bailout and to explain high-end jewelry discovered during a police raid on his office.
The Bottom Line
The ruling marks a significant escalation in an investigation that has strained Spanish politics for two years. Gómez denies any wrongdoing, and Sánchez has maintained he will continue serving as prime minister despite the legal pressure on his family.
What happens next: Watch for whether Gómez's defense team appeals the passport surrender order, how opposition parties leverage this ruling ahead of upcoming regional elections, and whether additional government officials become implicated in the technology contract allegations. The case is expected to dominate Spanish political discourse until trial proceedings begin.