Another Corruption Case Knocks Partido Popular
Cristóbal Montoro, the former Finance Minister of Spain, has officially been placed under investigation in a comprehensive corruption case that involves purported legislative manipulation for the advantage of gas companies.
The allegations, linked to his tenure in the Rajoy administration, represent a significant setback for the Partido Popular (PP) and have ignited intense political reactions across the political spectrum.
Alongside Montoro, who held the position of Finance Minister from 2011 to 2018 under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, authorities have identified 28 individuals in a judicial inquiry led by the provincial court in Tarragona.
The investigation focuses on accusations of bribery (cohecho), abuse of power (prevaricación), fraud, and document falsification (falsedad documental). As per investigative reports from the newspaper El País, the former minister and several close associates are alleged to have collaborated with major gas companies to create favorable legislation that was enacted in 2013 and 2018, both during Montoro’s time in office.
These legislative modifications are said to have yielded significant financial advantages for those companies. Central to the allegations is the claim that up to €8 million in payments were made to Montoro’s private consultancy firm, previously known as Equipo Económico and now called Global Afteli.
This money was purportedly received in exchange for developing regulatory reforms that directly benefited major energy stakeholders.
Several high-ranking former Treasury officials and members of Montoro’s advisory team are also implicated. The political repercussions have been immediate. The Partido Popular has taken steps to publicly dissociate itself from Montoro.
He voluntarily departed from the party in early July 2025, shortly after he was officially named a suspect in the investigation following its revelation. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has stressed that the alleged misconduct pertains to a period over a decade ago and is unrelated to the current leadership of the party.
In an interview with Cadena SER, Feijóo’s spokesperson, Elías Bendodo, dismissed the situation as “historic matters that are no longer relevant.”
The investigation continues.
