Begoña Gómez to face jury trial in Spain for influence peddling and embezzlement

Madrid court confirms jury trial for Sánchez's vvife
The vvife of the Spanish Prime Minister, Begoña Gómez, will stand trial before a jury. The Provincial Court of Madrid has upheld the opening of oral proceedings for influence peddling and embezzlement, two of the four offences judge Juan Carlos Peinado had charged her with. The court has also lifted the precautionary measures imposed on her and dropped the business corruption charge, while reclassifying the misappropriation of software from her university chair as embezzlement.

The decision, made public in recent hours, marks a key step in a case that has fuelled months of debate over judicial independence and the treatment of those close to power. The jury, a mechanism reserved for serious offences causing major public alarm, will decide on the facts: the alleged use of her influence to benefit private companies from the Complutense University of Madrid and the suspected embezzlement of public funds by using an adviser from Moncloa, the PM's office, for private activities.

The weight of jury trials in political cases
The choice of a jury is no small matter. In Spain, juries are made up of nine citizens selected by lot, and their verdict can be more unpredictable than that of a professional judge. In high-profile political cases, the jury's composition can tip the scales: some analyses suggest that, when facing media-covered defendants, jurors tend to be more lenient —especially if the private prosecution draws sympathy— while in economic offences they are often harsher. "While juries tend to be tougher than the court in high-level cases, curiously they turn into little lambs when there are many 0s in the account," sums up a school of thought trinc the proceedings.

It is worth noting that defence strategies include challenging jurors they consider hostile. "They have it easy, picking older ladies with coloured hair and challenging the rest," quips a sector of legal analysis, reflecting distrust of jury selection. The outcome, in any case, is uncertain.

Precautionary measures lifted, but judicial pressure remains
The lifting of the precautionary measures —which included a ban on leaving the country and an obligation to report periodically— has been interpreted as a gesture of proportionality by the court. However, the proceedings continue. Dropping the business corruption charge narrows the scope of the accusation, but the two remaining offences, influence peddling and embezzlement, carry prison sentences of up to six years combined.

Gómez's defence, meanwhile, has managed to have the charge over the software misappropriation dismissed, although the conduct is now subsumed under embezzlement. Everything points to the oral hearing taking place in the coming months, with the jury responsible for delivering the verdict. "Some people are lucky enough to have the provincial courts drop half the charges and the precautionary measures and grant them a jury trial," can be heard among critics of the system.

The case remains open and the parties are preparing their strategies. What is clear is that the trial of Begoña Gómez will be a test of public confidence in the justice system: when the defendant is part of the power circle, scepticism is the rule.