Overnight front pages stayed with Germany, where AfD took Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Left won Berlin while Merz's CDU recorded historic lows including its first exclusion from a regional parliament, putting the coalition under question.
By mid-morning editors pivoted to Judge Peinado opening oral trial against Begoña Gómez and Moncloa aide Cristina Álvarez for alleged influence peddling and embezzlement before a jury, with orders to examine her economic capacity and tax returns. The government reiterated her innocence and denounced arbitrary instruction and political persecution.
A second judicial line ran alongside: the judge summoned Zapatero's daughters as investigated for November 30 and gave Zapatero three days to document jewels. Ceuta receded to the margins through the stoning of a deputy's car, one arrest, and Morocco reinforcing the border.