Spain holds its breath: The court date that has Pedro Sánchez terrified

On June 2, former Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero will walk into the Audiencia Nacional and face a judge, and what he says could bring down the government of Pedro Sánchez.

Ex Spanish PM José Luis Zapatero’s awaited declaration before Judge José Luis Calama at the Audiencia Nacional now casts a massive shadow over Spanish politics.

Tuesday, June 2 at 9am will see the former prime minister appear as an ‘investigado’ in the Plus Ultra influence-peddling probe. This single court date intensifies pressure on the current government at a moment when stability already looks fragile.

Coalition partners are quietly distancing themselves from Sánchez as the hearing nears. Sumar has voiced demands for stricter rules on former leaders while ERC and other former allies show doubts publicly over recent developments.

Observers are wondering whether this erosion of support adds fresh instability to an already highly fragile parliamentary situation.

Internal critics within PSOE are beginning to sharpen their attacks on Sánchez. Regional barons, especially after poor results in the Andalucia election, question the national strategy the prime minister is following and call for some sort of renewal to avoid further defeats as 2027 brings both general and local elections.

Growing discontent in key partnerships is behind talk of an exhausted cycle that requires big decisions on leadership and timing.

Evidence against Zapatero

Zapatero faces no formal charges so far, yet investigators have gathered material that raises serious questions ahead of his 2 June appearance. For the detailed evidence uncovered so far, including intercepted communications, financial flows and the May 19 raids, readers can refer to our earlier report on the historic corruption probe: Ex-PM of Spain José Luis Zapatero faces historic corruption probe over airline bailout millions.

Unpopular steps taken by the Sánchez administration

Several decisions and failures have damaged public confidence in recent months and masses have again displayed their calls for Sánchez to step down from his position in government:

• Repeated inability to pass a fresh national budget has forced reliance on extensions of prior spending plans and last-minute deals.
• Loss of stable parliamentary support after Catalan party Junts withdrew backing in late 2025 leaves key decrees vulnerable to defeat.
• Ongoing probes into family members and close allies fuel perceptions of conflicts of interest at the highest levels.
• Electoral setbacks in multiple regions leave PSOE struggling to maintain momentum ahead of future votes.
• Mass regularisation of undocumented migrants currently living illegally in Spain.

Questions now revolve around Sánchez’s own position. Many wonder whether the combination of the Zapatero court date, partner distancing and internal PSOE criticism will finally push him towards resignation or even early elections. With the legislature due to run until 2027, any move would represent a major turning point.

Spanish politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty as June 2 approaches. Developments from that hearing could reshape the coming weeks in ways few predicted even a month ago. For more background on the growing calls for Sánchez to step down and recent protests, see our previous coverage here and here.