Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Wednesday there was "no reason" to withdraw support for his predecessor José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is under investigation for corruption, following the publication of new details this week about the case.
"I think there is no sufficient reason, there is no reason to change that position," Sánchez told a Rome news conference after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
The Zapatero case centres on whether the former Socialist premier used his political influence to help airline Plus Ultra secure a €53-million ($58-billion) bailout in 2021 and whether he and his family financially benefitted from it.
READ MORE: Spain's former PM under investigation for influence peddling
The investigating judge charged with the case suspects Zapatero may have been part of an elaborate network involving shell companies and behind-the-scenes lobbying designed to push favourable decisions through the Socialist government's channels.
