On September 5, 2025, King Felipe VI will attend a Supreme Court ceremony in Madrid for the annual court report, overshadowed by a clash over Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz, who faces a leak probe and calls to resign, amid Pedro Sánchez’s controversial judicial reforms.
García Ortiz is under Supreme Court investigation for allegedly leaking an email tied to a probe into Alberto González Amador, partner of Madrid’s Popular Party leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Three legal associations call his attendance at the ceremony “an act of contempt” for the rule of law, per Euractiv, citing eroded public trust.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez staunchly supports García Ortiz, claiming his innocence, while Transport Minister Óscar Puente labeled the investigating judge as the “real opposition.” The government, which appoints attorneys general, faces accusations of undermining judicial independence.
Sánchez’s government proposes judicial changes, including replacing an oral exam with a written one and opening 25% of judicial posts to lawyers without standard tests, aiming to add 2,500 judges and prosecutors. Critics, like Fernando Portillo of the Independent Judicial Forum, warn these reforms threaten judicial integrity.
Another reform would shift criminal investigations from judges to prosecutors, placing the Judicial Police, including the Civil Guard’s UCO unit, under the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This raises fears of political interference, especially as UCO investigates Sánchez’s inner circle, including his wife and brother.
King Felipe VI’s presence at the ceremony underscores Spain’s deepening judicial-political divide. If reforms pass, they could compromise judicial independence, per critics, while Sánchez claims alignment with European standards. The outcome will shape Spain’s rule of law and public trust in justice.
