Calvo urges ex-president review
Carmen Calvo urges review of former presidents' actions for calm amid explosive political situation
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Carmen Calvo, president of the Council of State and former Spanish Vice Prime Minister, has called for a full review of the conduct of all former heads of government. "We have to review what has happened with all former presidents. We would all be at peace," she said, speaking from her role leading one of Spain's oldest advisory institutions. Diario de Córdoba
Her remarks come as Spain's political climate heats up. The wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, had her passport withdrawn by a judge on June 18. At the same time, former PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero faces new investigations over private consultancy work. Calvo's call for a sweeping review is being read as a bid to turn a specific political crisis into a wider national debate. La Provincia
A Legal Void That Has Plagued Former Leaders
Spain has no law regulating what former prime ministers can and cannot do after leaving office. The rules come from a 1992 Royal Decree that gives ex-presidents a lifetime pension of €79,336 per year, a small staff, and diplomatic support abroad. But it places almost no limits on private work. After a two-year cooling-off period, former leaders can join private boards in fields they once oversaw in government. La Nueva España
Calvo argues this creates serious conflicts of interest. She told journalists that a former president's salary should be "sufficient" because "the honor of the office is immaterial." She wants a new law to cap private earnings and ban lobbying in areas tied to their time in power. Spain also has no law covering the legal status of a prime minister's spouse — a gap that the Begoña Gómez case has exposed. El Periódico Mediterráneo
Zapatero and Gómez Cases Fuel the Reform Push
The immediate trigger for Calvo's proposal is a pair of overlapping judicial crises. Zapatero is under scrutiny for paid advisory work linked to Venezuela and the controversial "Plus Ultra" airline case. Meanwhile, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Begoña Gómez to surrender her passport on June 18 over alleged influence-peddling. Both cases have exposed the absence of clear rules. La Opinión de Málaga
Calvo made her remarks during events marking 500 years of the Council of State, founded by Charles I in 1526. She used the anniversary as a platform to argue for institutional modernization. By calling for a review of all ex-presidents — including conservatives like Aznar and Rajoy — she frames the problem as systemic, not partisan. El Correo Gallego
Opposition Calls the Plan a Political Shield
The centre-right PP and its allies are not convinced. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has called Calvo's proposal a "smokescreen" designed to distract from the Sánchez government's legal troubles. Opposition spokesmen argue she is using her institutional role to do political damage control for the Socialist party. Diario de Ibiza
Critics point out the timing. Calvo launched her push for reform just as Zapatero's private dealings came under a judicial spotlight. Conservative media outlets have dubbed it "The Calvo Shield" — a retroactive attempt to change the rules mid-investigation. Legal analysts note, however, that placing all former presidents under the same review neutralizes some of that criticism. La Opinión de Zamora
What a New Law Could Actually Look Like
A formal "Organic Law of the Presidency" is now being discussed for the 2026 legislative session. It could include a higher state pension in exchange for a permanent ban on lobbying. It might also create a legal definition for the role of a prime minister's spouse for the first time in Spanish history. Levante-EMV
The Council of State currently has no power to enforce rules — it is a consultative body only. But Calvo hints it could take on a broader role as a "moral and legal auditor" of democratic standards. Whether the governing coalition has the votes to pass such a law remains unclear. The debate, though, is now fully open. La Opinión de Murcia
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