Spanish PM's wife Begoña Gómez ordered to stand trial, surrender passport

Barcelona,UPDATED: Jun 20, 2026 22:14 IST

A Spanish judge on Saturday ordered Begoa Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Snchez, to stand trial on charges of influence peddling and corruption, and told her to surrender her passport. The ruling immediately triggered a political confrontation, with Spain's opposition calling on Snchez's Socialist government to resign.

Investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado said Gómez was a flight risk. Along with handing over her passport, she has been ordered to appear before a court every two weeks. No trial date has been set. Gómez is accused of using her position to influence government contracts awarded to a group of technology companies.

The judge also accused her of misusing public funds in the hiring of a consultant and of improperly using software while she was a professor at a public university. Peinado said a businessman who allegedly benefited from the government contracts, along with the consultant who worked for Gómez, will also stand trial.

Gómez has denied wrongdoing. Snchez has said the case against her is part of a smear campaign by conservative political opponents aimed at toppling his left-wing government, which has been in power since 2018. Government officials sharply criticised Saturday's order as politically motivated, while the Socialist Party called it "an absolute scandal for democracy".

"Begoa Gomez is innocent," the party said. "For two years now, she has been the target of a political and judicial witch hunt. Today's development is just the latest escalation."

Spain's conservative opposition, however, stepped up its attack and urged the government to call an early election. "Lawmakers and the architects of our constitution could never have imagined that the threats to our democracy could originate from the Spanish government itself," said Miguel Tellado, secretary-general of the main opposition People's Party. "Now we see how the government attacks judges, prosecutors and the media while attempting to silence opposition parties," he said. "This is unthinkable in any modern democracy."

Snchez, a critic of US President Donald Trump, is facing legal trouble on multiple fronts before a general election due by next year. Earlier this week, former Socialist prime minister Jos Luis Rodrguez Zapatero appeared before a different judge over his alleged role in a government airline bailout and to explain the discovery of high-end jewellery during a police raid on his office. He has denied wrongdoing.

The two-year investigation into Gómez began after accusations by pressure group Manos Limpias, or Clean Hands, which has pursued several legal cases, many linked to conservative causes. With no trial date fixed, the case has become the latest flashpoint between Snchez's government and the opposition, as Gómez continues to deny wrongdoing and rivals press for an early vote.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends