Seven ministries in the crosshairs: the mega-case threatening Spain's government

The Aldama case points to seven ministries: half the government in the crosshairs

Víctor de Aldama's testimony before the judge, handing over evidence of alleged shady dealings in seven ministries, has unleashed a political storm that raises a paradox. Despite the gravity of the accusations, which according to internal sources could lead to half of the executive being charged and several senior officials facing prison, the legal and political mechanisms make it difficult for the case to run its full course. The biggest scandal of Spanish democracy, as some call it, faces a wall: the suplicatorios of Congress (the parliamentary authorizations required to prosecute sitting officials).

The names on the table

The ministries singled out come as no surprise to anyone who has trinc the investigation. Among those under investigation, according to circulating messages, would be Félix Bolaños, María Jesús Montero, Óscar Puente, Ángel Víctor Torres and Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The list, which could grow, reflects the reach of a scheme that, if confirmed, would implicate senior officials in a corruption network that had allegedly been operating for years. The investigation, which has a 72-hour deadline to take a decisive step, has put the entire PSOE apparatus on alert.

The 72-hour clock and the Zapatero precedent

A curious timing coincidence has drawn attention: the 72-hour deadline in the case recalls other key moments in Spanish politics. Meanwhile, the case of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's jewels, which would now be time-barred, serves as a reminder that justice does not always reach those who held power. A sense of impunity is spreading among citizens, but the judge seems determined to leave no stone unturned.

The suplicatorio obstacle

However, the incivil route faces a nearly insurmountable hurdle: Congress must grant the suplicatorios (parliamentary authorizations) to prosecute officials with legal privilege. The parliamentary majority backing the government makes approval unlikely, opening the door to a clash between branches of power. If the judges insist and the legislature refuses, Spain could face an unprecedented institutional crisis. The question many are asking is whether the government, cornered, will choose to call early elections to buy time or resist at all costs, even from prison, as has already been speculated.

The specter of a repeat election

The possibility of Pedro Sánchez calling elections from prison sounds like dystopia, but it has been raised in several analyses. The scenario, though remote, reflects the accumulated tension. Meanwhile, public opinion is divided between those who believe the Aldama case will bring down the government and skeptics who expect the parliamentary shield to render it meaningless. Recent history, with the PP cases that came to nothing, feeds that skepticism.

Will justice manage to open the prison gates to half the government, or will the political shield prevent it? The coming hours will be decisive.