Spain Investigates Ex-PM Zapatero Over Airline Bailout

Spain's top criminal court has placed former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero under formal investigation over a €53 million emergency loan granted to Plus Ultra airline in March 2021. This marks the first time in Spain's modern history that a former prime minister has been investigated. Zapatero, who served from 2004 to 2011, was summoned to testify on June 2, and police searched his offices and three unnamed companies. The investigation adds pressure on current Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, already weakened by corruption probes involving family members and allies. Zapatero has become one of Sánchez's top defenders in recent years. Plus Ultra, a minor airline operating flights to Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela with Airbus A340 aircraft, received the bailout.