The Day Zapatero's TV Defense Failed to Quiet the Scandal

The Plus Ultra scandal dominated editorial priorities for the fourth consecutive day, with former PM Zapatero's morning TV interview on RTVE setting the agenda. Headlines across outlets focused on his denial of mediating the airline's rescue and his characterization of the €1.3 million jewels as a 'courtesy gift' with no patrimonial intent. Conservative media (El Mundo, Libertad Digital, La Razón) emphasized his refusal to clarify the jewels' origin and framed the interview as a failed attempt at damage control. By afternoon, the story began to share space with a congressional defeat for the government: the fiscal path was voted down, signaling budget collapse and legislative paralysis. Simultaneously, wildfires in Madrid forced 10,000 evacuations, prompting Ayuso to demand a national emergency declaration. The government's proposal of Yolanda Díaz to lead the ILO and ECB rate decisions received secondary coverage, while the Zapatero case remained the primary political story, with PSOE internal fears of government implication reported by El Confidencial.