Zapatero breaks silence to defend government over Plus Ultra airline bailout

Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ended a two-month silence to issue a strong statement of support for the current government. His remarks came just 24 hours after Julio Martínez Martínez testified before a judge, casting a shadow over Zapatero's consulting work. Zapatero emphatically denied any connection between the money he received for consulting and the government's rescue of the airline Plus Ultra. "I did not speak with anyone from SEPI or the government, nor with any public authority," he stated regarding the loan granted by the Executive. He was firm in asserting his innocence, though he skirted around the financial trail linking payments from Plus Ultra to Martínez's company and subsequent payments to the former president. These connections suggest intermediation, a point Zapatero conceded must be proven by the judge, stating, "He who accuses must prove." While Zapatero did not clarify the origin of jewelry found in his office, attributing it to a "personal courtesy gift from many years ago," he did not dispel lingering doubts about his actions. His primary objective appeared to be shielding the current government from any suggestion of irregular conduct in the Plus Ultra bailout. The judiciary will ultimately determine whether he benefited financially as a legal lobbyist or if his influence extended beyond legal boundaries. The article also highlights the violation of Zapatero's privacy, noting that the public disclosure of his agenda, detailing over 600 activities in two years, should be a cause for concern among judicial administrators. The piece points out the irony in a country where a former attorney general was convicted for revealing secrets. Zapatero's public reappearance signals a clear offensive strategy from the PSOE, seemingly undeterred by judicial pressure. The party appears unwilling to concede defeat in this matter.

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I did not speak with anyone from SEPI or the government, nor with any public authority.