Zapatero's daughters: half a million euros for a website and the 'girls' story

Zapatero's daughters invoiced nearly €500,000 for web work. Now they are called 'girls' when they used to be businesswomen. Nepotism or merit?

English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published

Zapatero's daughters bill almost half a million: girls or businesswomen with a godfather?

The controversy surrounding the daughters of former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is resurfacing. For years, the official narrative portrayed them as young businesswomen who had built their future on their own merit. But now, with invoices coming to light that total around half a million euros for work that could be described as simple — laying out reports, designing websites — the story has changed: suddenly they are 'girls', even though both are over thirty.



The figures that break the fairy tale

The available data suggest that Zapatero's daughters invoiced close to €500,000 for web design and report layout services. Work that, according to industry sources, could be done for a fraction of that price. The question hanging in the air: are those fees proportional to the value of the work, or the reflection of a surname that opens doors?

From businesswomen to 'girls': the narrative shift

What is striking about the case is not just the amount, but the change of label. A few years ago, when they began receiving public and private contracts, they were presented as entrepreneurs ahead of their time. Now, with the invoices on the table, official circles are once again calling them 'girls', as if their age and business status were being diluted to dodge criticism. A strategy that, seen from the outside, looks more like an attempt to downplay responsibility.



The debate remains open: are they two thirty-somethings with exceptional talent worth half a million, or yet another case of disguised nepotism in Spanish politics? The bill, in any case, has already been paid.

Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (25 replies).

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