Moncloa backs Begoña Gómez after the decision of the controversial judge Peinado and denounces an "unbearable public scorn"

The Government has come out this Tuesday in defense of Begoña Gómez, a day after judge Juan Carlos Peinado agreed to send her to trial before a popular jury. The Executive's spokesperson, Elma Saiz, has denounced the treatment received by Pedro Sánchez's wife during the investigation. "The public scorn she is suffering is absolutely unbearable," she stated after the Council of Ministers.

Saiz attributed this exposure to Gómez being the wife of "a progressive president" and has conveyed her support and solidarity. The reaction comes after Peinado opened a trial for alleged crimes of influence peddling and embezzlement. The decision puts an end to an investigation of more than two years that has caused successive appeals and an intense political confrontation, although the date for the hearing still needs to be set.

Saiz trusts that the jury will be "fair"

The minister spokesperson acknowledged that the case is widely known by those who might one day be part of the jury. Despite the public repercussion of the case, she expressed her confidence that its members will examine the facts with impartiality. "The Government asks for justice to be done and, in this case, doing justice precisely means declaring her innocent," she maintained.

This is the position that Moncloa has maintained since it learned of the order. On Monday, it described the investigation as "arbitrary and unjust" and denounced a "judicial persecution" against Gómez. It also reproached that the decision came to light while Sánchez was traveling to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. These are the Executive's assessments of a case that the court will now have to examine.

In the procedure, the Prosecutor's Office requests Gómez's acquittal, while the popular prosecution maintains the charges. The opening of the trial allows these to be debated before a jury; there is still no sentence on the investigated facts. This difference takes on special importance after two years in which each judicial resolution has had an immediate political reading.

Patxi López takes the PSOE's criticism to Peinado

The PSOE has gone further than the Government in its attacks on the instructor. Its spokesperson in Congress, Patxi López, this Tuesday compared Peinado's latest decision, a few days before his retirement, to Franco's expression "tied and well tied". In his opinion, the magistrate wanted to leave the procedure on track before retiring.

López has accused the judge of acting as an "activist against Pedro Sánchez and against the Government" and has regretted that, despite the complaints filed about his actions, no judicial body has "stopped him in his tracks." He has also specified that his criticism is directed at Peinado's investigation and that he has nothing against the figure of the popular jury.