đ„ SĂĄnchez's Week from Hell
Plus: Gay-jĂ vu all over again, and Princess Leonor flew a plane with dad!
Madrid | Issue #152
đš The Bubble is Spain's #1 English-language newsletter. We offer paid and free subscriptions (which you can customize). Or interested in sponsorship opportunities?Click here to find out how to book a spot.
Itâs getting hot in here
đ„ âEverything Everywhere All at Onceâ, SĂĄnchez edition
No, itâs not because of the heat wave. Right now, everything is hitting Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez at once. This week has delivered a brutal one-two-three punch: his former right-hand man, JosĂ© Luis Ăbalos, was sentenced to over 24 years in prison, his ex-adviser Koldo GarcĂa to nearly 20, and his wife, Begoña GĂłmez, is now officially heading to trial in a separate case.
Legal Earthquake #1. On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the so-called Caso Koldo (which weâve covered many times here). Ăbalos, who was once one of the most powerful figures in SĂĄnchezâs PSOE and a key architect of his rise to power, was found guilty of running a corruption scheme tied to pandemic-era mask contracts (and got the longest prison sentence ever for a former minister â congrats!).
Bad men #1 + #2. The court found he participated in an organized operation involving kickbacks, influence-peddling, and steering public contracts allegedly steered toward friendly companies. His close aide, Koldo GarcĂa, was also convicted as part of the same network.
SnitchingCooperating pays. Then thereâs VĂctor de Aldama, the businessman at the center of the scheme, who was convicted too, but wonât go to prison because he cooperated with the authorities. The court explicitly rewarded his testimony and evidence, arguing that collaboration helps dismantle corruption networks.The audacity! Inside the government, that decision has triggered real unease. Not because of Aldama himself (who made threats against SĂĄnchez, suggesting he was involved), but because of what it signaled (at least to them):
tell the truth, and you will receive leniencytestify against the socialist party, and you walk.
Legal Earthquake #2. Just when things couldnât get more complicated politically, another crisis hit SĂĄnchezâs personal orbit. That is, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has formally opened trial proceedings against his wife, Begoña GĂłmez, accusing her of leveraging her position as the prime ministerâs wife to boost her professional projects and influence business relationships.
The charges range from influence peddling to corruption in business dealings â serious accusations that GĂłmez has denied. The Madrid public prosecutor has questioned the solidity of the case, but Peinado is like a dog with a bone and is pressing ahead nonetheless.
Red flags. What has really set off alarm bells, though, is how the judge is handling it. In a WTF moment highly controversial move, he ordered GĂłmez to surrender her passport and banned her from leaving Spain, citing a potential flight risk.
Questioning the Thin Blue Line. Peinado suggested that the very police officers assigned to protect her could help her escape (which pissed off pretty much everyone). The National Police and police unions, which are not exactly known for siding with this government, called it outrageous. And the judicial watchdog, the CGPJ, voted in favor of opening a disciplinary investigation into the judge over those statements. (Still, GĂłmez turned in her passport yesterday).
Out to get her? This case itself has been controversial from day one. It originated from what many saw as a flimsy complaint filed by Manos Limpias, a pseudo-union linked to the far right, and has been marked by a series of once again, WTF eyebrow-raising moments.
No comment. SĂĄnchezâs response has been a combination of trolling and exhaustion. Just hours after the Supreme Courtâs bombshell ruling on Koldo, he posted a TikTok advising people to drink water and wear sunscreen during the heatwave.
The best defense is a good offense. Yesterday in Parliament, he switched to full mixed metaphor combat mode, condemning corruption, defending his record, and aggressively going after the opposition, especially the PP. Corruption exists, he says, but not in his government as a system (a distinction that may be too cute by half), and certainly not on the scale seen in previous administrations (which sounds like he admits it exists, but anywayâŠ).
The opposition laughed at his response, with PP leader Alberto NĂșñez FeijĂło asking him to call an election. Even former Socialist PM Felipe GonzĂĄlez said he should either resign or call early elections out of âpolitical responsibility.â
What happens now? Weâre headed for a summer break (yay!). Begoña GĂłmez is on track to stand trial unless a higher court intervenes, and the broader corruption investigations linked to the Caso Koldo are still unfolding, meaning more revelations could be coming.
SĂĄnchez insists he will stay the course until 2027 (though his comments suggest heâs rebating that from July to March). But after a week like this, that timeline suddenly looks far less certain.
More news below. đđ
đ But first⊠Donât miss the latest episode of The Bubble Podcast!
We discuss PM Zapateroâs corruption accusations, the very complicated relationship between the US and Spanish governments, and the World Cup. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!
IE University proudly presents the 20th edition of LGBT+@Work, one of the leading LGBTIQ+ conferences in Europe and the longest-running of its kind since its launch in 2006. Two decades later, this flagship event continues to foster meaningful conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world.
Register here to attend today!
đŹ Five things to discuss at dinner parties
1. đșđžđđȘđž Are American businesses souring on Spain as SĂĄnchez and Trump duke it out?
Economic reverb. Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchezâs stand against President Trumpâs war in Iran, tech bro assholishness, and Israeli military attacks are either a principled stand against the đ Menaceâs policies or the political grandstanding of a leader unloved at home (or both; it can be both). But it could be hitting Spain where it really hurts â you know, el bolsillo đ€.
Whatâs the deal? American companies are pulling money out of Spain at a historic pace. Between January and March 2026 â the first quarter to fully capture the diplomatic faceoff between Madrid and Washington â U.S. disinvestment sextupled (not often you get to use that word!), rising 534% year-over-year to âŹ3.3 billion.
Long time high. Thatâs the largest quarterly disinvestment spike going back to when records began in 1993. Net U.S. investment cratered 719%, flipping from slightly positive a year ago to negative âŹ1.97 billion. In one quarter, âmerica went from Spainâs #1 foreign investor to #254.
The timing is a bit obvs. SĂĄnchez came out hard in March against the U.S. and Israelâs quest to send Iran back to the Stone Age, including by blocking America from using the joint bases in Spain for the war. Trump responded by calling Spain âa terrible partner.â Thatâs the last month the new data covers, which matters because American investment had been booming until then: 2025 closed with record U.S. investment, up 53% to âŹ10.2bn.
The U.S. numbers are the worst, but theyâre not alone. Overall, foreign net investment in Spain fell 16.8% in Q1 2026, with total foreign disinvestment up 84.8%.
But why? The fracas with the Orange Menace compounds pre-existing conditions, like Spainâs complex regulations and energy grid problems (remember the apagĂłn?). Itâs also worth noting that Spainâs so-called escudo antiopas â a screening system meant to stop foreigners from
getting their grubby paws onbuying strategic Spanish companies â again directed about 40% of its 2025 reviews at U.S. investors (itâs been consistent since the escudo launched in 2020).Two sectors seem to be taking the worst of it. Data centers, where Spain was competing with France for Mediterranean leadership (France: 320 active centers; Spain: 145), and defense, where industry sources say flatly that âmost bridges are broken.â
Whatâs next? Economists are watching closely whether Q1 was a one-off â a handful of major exits skewing the data â or the start of a real shift. In part to avoid drama, some regional governments â chiefly AragĂłn (33% of Spainâs data center projects) and Madrid â are going to court U.S. investors directly and leave the đ fella and Mr. Handsome to fight things out on their own time.
2. đș Archaeologists prove Extremadura was super de lujo back in the day
You may think Extremadura is just the hot place that Spainâs conquistadores would do anything to get away from, including going to the New World to die (or kill). But no â back in ancient times, that could barely afford the written word, it was like Las Vegas and Dubai all wrapped into one.
How do we know this? Archaeologists at Casas del Turuñuelo, a Tartessian site (long story) in Guareña (Badajoz), have just wrapped their eighth dig season with another mind-blowing find: half of a bronze ritual cart from around 500 BC, decorated with griffins, a river god with his tongue out, and two bearded Atlas figures holding the whole thing up.
Really, this is crazy unique. Esther RodrĂguez and SebastiĂĄn Celestino, the CSIC co-directors behind the dig, say theyâve âsearched by land, sea and airâ and found nothing like it. The only partial parallels are Etruscan.
Turuñuelo has been delivering for years. Previous campaigns at the mound turned up the first Tartessian stone sculptures ever found (five near-life-size busts); a slate tablet with one of the oldest known paleohispanic alphabets carved around a scene of battling warriors; and the bones of 42 horses and assorted livestock, arranged with eerie ceremonial precision â the first documented animal sacrifice on the scale described in the Iliad and the Old Testament.
What else is hiding under the mound? A two-story monumental building from 2,500 years ago, unique in the protohistoric southwest Iberian Peninsula.
What it all means. RodrĂguez is calling this âthe year of imports.â Why? The cart is probably Etruscan. Found alongside it were attic ceramics from Greece, an Egyptian alabaster perfume flask, ivory fragments carved with warriors, lions, and lotus flowers, and a Greek ritual foot-washing basin that the team believes âtraveled in a packageâ with a marble altar column found last year.
Someone at Turuñuelo knew what the objects were for. The striking thing, Celestino says, is that these Mediterranean luxury goods keep turning up in landlocked Badajoz but not at coastal sites like CĂĄdiz or MĂĄlaga. Thatâs just another reason Extremadura intrigues us â that and how much good seafood you can eat in the desert zone.
Whatâs next? The other half of the bronze cart is presumably still somewhere under the mound, with half the site still unexcavated. Spainâs largest protective dome is being built over the site. Isotope analysis will try to pinpoint where the bronze came from.
And then thereâs the central mystery. Why did Tartessian Extremaduraâs inhabitants destroy everything, bury it in a mound, and walk away 2,500 years ago?
3. đ©ïž And then the princess flew a planeâŠ
You know weâre always up for heartwarming royal news about Princess Leonor. Just three weeks ago, we breathlessly recounted how Felipe VIâs eldest daughter had jumped out of a plane more than once as part of her military parachuting training. At the time, we speculated that Spain was all there for Leonor because watching her grow from teen to adult was a welcome break from political scandals and weird stories about corpses that dominate our news.
Now sheâs done even more! Not only can she jump out of planes â she can fly one alongside her dad!
What happened: On June 19, the 12th anniversary of Felipe VIâs proclamation as king, the Royal House released 18 photographs of father and daughter doing some serious father-daughter bonding â by flying together.
Kinda like when your dad did bumper cars with you. Leonor, in her third and final year of military training at the Air and Space Academy in San Javier (Murcia), flew a Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft as her father flew one alongside her, and together they soared over La Manga del Mar Menor on the Murcian coast. Like cute chickadee nestlings taking their first flight.
The king was told what's what by the princess. Before takeoff, Leonor presented the mission briefing to Felipe, explaining the technical details and safety procedures. To her father. Who is the king. This is either excellent parenting or a slightly overachieving daughter. Weâre guessing both.
A note on the landing. âI felt better than I expected,â Felipe said, stepping off the plane (suggestingâŠ?). Leonor hugged him and said: âThank you, Papa.â The Academy director, watching them land, said it âwent quite well.â High, if understated, praise all around.
The 12-year milestone. The timing wasnât accidental. When Felipe VI was proclaimed king in June 2014, he promised a ârenewed monarchy for a new era.â Twelve years later, watching his daughter brief him on flight safety before climbing into a combat trainer and flying formation over the Mediterranean â well, that image is doing a lot of monarchy renewal work.
Whatâs next? Leonorâs military training wraps in July, when she receives her commissions as Lieutenant in the Army, Lieutenant in the Air Force, and Ensign in the Navy, in three separate ceremonies alongside her classmates. After three years of sailing tall ships, jumping from planes, and flying combat trainers, she returns to royal duties full-time. With a CV that puts most 21-year-olds (like, um, the younger versions of us?) to shame.
4. đłïžâđ Gay-jĂ vu: People are mad (again) at Madridâs Pride banners
Oh, boy. Itâs that time of year again. Madrid Pride is back to take over the city, and so is the annual controversy surrounding the City Councilâs campaign. Earlier this week, PP Mayor JosĂ© Luis MartĂnez-Almeidaâs government unveiled the official posters for MADO Madrid Orgullo 2026 â and people are, once again, pissed off not happy.
Rings a bell? Remember back in 2024 when people hated the banners because they appeared to reduce Madrid Pride to sex and alcohol? Well, this yearâs campaign is swapping people for⊠random objects. But hey, at least they are rainbow-colored castizo objects!
No, seriously. Instead of faces, bodies, or community imagery, the posters feature AI-generated scenes of ultra-Madrid staples: a flower-filled balcony, stacked terrace chairs, jars of candy.
All wrapped in rainbow colors and stamped with slogans like âProudly from Madridâ and, later, the updated line: âDiversity is lived in Madridâ. (You can see them here.)
Over the rainbow. The idea, according to the City Council, is to show how diversity is âintegrated into everyday lifeâ across neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. The problem? For a lot of people, thatâs exactly the issue.
Opposition leaders on the left said the campaign erased the people Pride is meant to celebrate. PSOEâs spokesperson in the city, Reyes Maroto, accused Mayor Almeida of turning Pride into a âmarketing campaignâ that reduces the community to decoration, while MĂĄs Madridâs Rita Maestre slammed the initiative as disconnected from the movementâs history.
LGBTQ+ organizations went further. ArcĂłpoli, a major Madrid LGBTQ+ rights group, accused the city of a âsystematic erasureâ of LGBTQ+ people.
The city responds. JosĂ© FernĂĄndez, Madridâs Social Policies chief, said LGBT diversity âisnât a slogan here and that diversity isnât just visible during Pride, but present year-round in the small, everyday details of the city.â
A gay old time. Madrid Pride Week kicks off today and runs until July 5. Last yearâs edition attracted between 1.5 and 2 million visitors and generated close to âŹ900m, making it the biggest Pride celebration in all of Europe. Even though thereâs still work to do, Spain is killing it.
Demand is already surging. Accommodation searches are up 70% over last year. So, whatever you think of the posters, Pride in Madrid is still a massive deal.
5. đ A rash of drownings put Spainâs beaches under scrutiny
This is a sad one. A series of tragic drownings over the past few days has shaken Spain just as the summer season begins. The most devastating incident took place in Tarragona, where three children â aged 12 and 13 â lost their lives, while two more adults died in separate incidents along the Alicante coast.
In Tarragona, six kids were swimming near a rocky area known as Cova del Gos, when strong currents and waves pulled them out to sea. (A yellow (caution) flag was flying at the time because of rip currents and undertow.) Three made it back to shore and alerted lifeguards, but the others became trapped against the rocks, unable to fight the current or find a way out.
Rescue was very difficult. Rough sea conditions forced lifeguards to improvise; at one point, they had to abandon a boat rescue and swim out themselves. One of the children died at the scene despite multiple attempts at resuscitation.
The other two were stabilized and rushed to the hospital (one by helicopter), but both later died from their injuries. City officials declared several days of mourning.
In Alicante, too. There, two more people died.
One man was found unconscious in a rocky cove in Torrevieja with no lifeguard service present; despite CPR efforts, he could not be revived.
Later that same day, a 24-year-old man drowned at Mil Palmeras beach shortly after lifeguards had ended their shift. Conditions had been rough all day, with warnings issued and a yellow flag raised.
These incidents highlight a critical issue as Spain heads into peak beach season â knowing where and when to swim can be a matter of life and death.
Rocky areas, strong currents, and unsupervised beaches dramatically increase risk â even for young, healthy swimmers.
Summer seasons. With more people heading to the water as rough seas affect parts of the coast, authorities are again urging caution. Basic rules: check the flags, avoid dangerous zones, and never underestimate the sea.
đ Donât forget to follow us on TikTok!
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
If youâre not following us on TikTok yet, youâre missing out. Weâre posting exclusive content with our collaborators across Spain, breaking news updates, and pop culture coverage. Click on the post above and come hang with us!
đ Once again, please remember to share this newsletter with your friends on social media. The more we grow, the more information weâll be able to offer each week.