Lorraine Williamson
Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, has been summoned to appear in court on Wednesday to hand over her passport after a judge ordered precautionary measures in the case against her.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has cited Gómez to appear at Madrid’s Court of Instruction Number 41 at 6.00 pm on Wednesday, 24 June. The summons follows his decision to send her to trial by jury and impose measures including the withdrawal of her passport, a ban on leaving Spain and twice-monthly court appearances.
Gómez denies wrongdoing. The case remains legally and politically sensitive, with her defence expected to challenge the precautionary measures.
What has changed today?
The latest development is the formal court summons for Gómez to appear and hand over her passport.
Cristina Álvarez, a Moncloa adviser who is also a defendant in the case, has also been cited to appear at the same time, according to Spanish media reports.
The passport order is part of a wider set of precautionary measures imposed after Peinado agreed to open trial proceedings. Those measures also include a ban on leaving Spanish territory and an obligation to appear before the court every 15 days.
The decision does not mean Gómez has been convicted. However, it means the judge has moved the case towards trial and imposed restrictions while proceedings continue.
What is Begoña Gómez accused of?
Gómez is being investigated in relation to allegations including influence peddling, corruption in business, misappropriation and misuse of public funds.
The case has been driven by private prosecutions and accusations, including those linked to Hazte Oír and other groups. Reuters reports that Gómez denies the allegations and is expected to appeal the passport order.
The judge has also sent business figure Juan Carlos Barrabés to trial in relation to alleged influence peddling and corruption in business, according to Spanish reports.
Because the case is still before the courts, the allegations remain unproven.
Why the passport order is controversial
The passport order has caused a strong political and institutional reaction.
The controversy is not only about the measure itself but also about the judge’s reasoning. Peinado suggested in his ruling that the police officers assigned to protect Gómez could help her flee Spain, a claim that has been sharply criticised by government figures and police representatives.
El País reported that the president of the General Council of the Judiciary, Isabel Perelló, has proposed opening disciplinary proceedings against Peinado over those comments, which could be considered a serious lack of respect towards police officers.
Spain’s Interior Ministry and police unions have also criticised the suggestion that the officers responsible for Gómez’s protection could assist an escape.
Judicial council weighs action against Peinado
The General Council of the Judiciary, known as the CGPJ, is now examining whether to act against Judge Peinado.
Reuters reported that Spain’s judicial oversight body has voted to launch disciplinary proceedings against the judge over his remarks about Gómez’s police escort. El País said the CGPJ is studying whether the judge’s comments could amount to a very serious disciplinary offence.
This creates an unusual situation: the judge overseeing one of Spain’s most politically sensitive cases is himself now facing scrutiny from the judiciary’s governing body.
Defence expected to appeal
Gómez’s defence is expected to appeal the precautionary measures, including the passport withdrawal. Spanish reports have also said her lawyer has filed a complaint with the CGPJ, claiming that the judge’s ruling was leaked before it was formally notified to the parties.
The trial decision itself may follow a different procedural route from the precautionary measures, but the travel restrictions are expected to be contested.
For now, the immediate date is Wednesday evening, when Gómez and Álvarez have been summoned to appear before the Madrid court.
Why this matters politically
The case has become one of the most politically charged judicial matters in Spain. Pedro Sánchez is not accused in this case, but the investigation into his wife has been used heavily in the wider political battle around the government.
The latest developments also come as Sánchez is due to appear in Congress on Wednesday to address broader corruption allegations affecting the Socialist Party and its political environment.
For the opposition, the case is likely to intensify pressure on the prime minister. For the government and PSOE, the handling of the investigation has raised questions about judicial proportionality, political motivation and the role of private prosecutions.
What happens next?
The next immediate step is Wednesday’s court appearance for the passport handover.
After that, the defence is expected to continue challenging the precautionary measures, while the wider trial process moves forward. The CGPJ’s handling of the disciplinary issue around Peinado will also be closely watched.
The case now has two tracks running at once. One is the criminal proceeding against Gómez and the other defendants, who deny wrongdoing and have not been convicted of any offence. The other is the institutional controversy around the judge’s comments and whether they crossed a disciplinary line.
Both are likely to keep the case at the centre of Spanish political debate this week.