Ex-minister Ábalos gets 24 years for pandemic mask graft, shaking Spanish politics

The Spanish political landscape was jolted Monday by the Supreme Court's conviction of former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, sentencing him to 24 years and three months in prison. Ábalos, a key figure in Pedro Sánchez's government and former secretary-general of the PSOE party, is already in provisional detention since late 2025. The case centers on kickbacks from public contracts for masks awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ábalos was not the only one convicted. His former advisor, Koldo García, received a 19-year and eight-month sentence. Víctor de Aldama, a commissioner involved in the scheme, was sentenced to four and a half years, but his sentence is suspended due to his cooperation and provision of "truthful and relevant" information. He must report activities semi-annually and perform community service for one year.

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In this situation of collapse, the only way out is to call general elections immediately.

The verdict has fueled political tensions. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition Popular Party (PP), declared the conviction a condemnation of Sánchez's government and demanded the prime minister step down, urging immediate general elections. Far-right party Vox also called for Sánchez's resignation and pushed the PP to initiate a no-confidence vote.

However, Feijóo stated he would not propose a motion without sufficient support, instead placing the onus on Sánchez's precarious coalition partners to force an election. Sumar, the left-wing coalition partner, praised the court's "forcefulness" against Ábalos and García but criticized the leniency shown to "habitual defrauders and corruptors," referencing Aldama and companies like Ferrovial, OHL, Endesa, and Acciona. Catalan independence party ERC urged the PSOE to conduct an internal "clean-up," while Podemos expressed "enormous disappointment."

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