The setback for the socialist leader comes amid corruption scandals that are hitting the PSOE and its closest circle
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The socialist president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, suffered a severe political blow in the Congress just one day after defending his management and ruling out an early exit from office.
A parliamentary majority approved a motion on Thursday that demands his resignation or, alternatively, that he submit to a vote of confidence, which could also lead to his removal from office, highlighting the political fragility of his administration.
The vote, pushed by the Popular Party (PP) and other opposition forces, gathered 178 votes in favor and 171 against. Although the initiative is not binding, meaning it does not formally compel the president to resign or submit to Congress, the result exposes an adverse scenario for the PSOE leader amid growing scrutiny.
Pedro Sánchez
On Wednesday, Sánchez appeared before Parliament to explain the corruption charges involving both his government and his party. In that context, he sought to appear firm in the face of criticism: “The question is not whether we will continue. The question is: How can we not continue?,” he stated.
His statements angered both the opposition and sectors that until recently supported him. The PP's motion was backed not only by Vox but also by Junts x Catalunya, the party linked to former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, Unión del Pueblo Navarro, and Coalición Canaria.
The most significant political fact is that, except for PP and Vox, those parties had been key allies of Sánchez in 2023, when they facilitated his investiture through agreements and commitments with the socialist leader. Their change of stance deepens the political crisis facing the left-wing government.
“The president of the government is acting against the absolute majority that is calling for his resignation,” stated the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, immediately after the vote.
Pedro Sánchez
Corruption scandals hitting Sánchez
The deterioration of Sánchez's position occurs alongside a series of judicial scandals that directly impact his circle. This week, the 24-year prison sentence was announced for his former Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, for receiving bribes in the purchase of masks during the pandemic.
Additionally, there is an investigation involving former socialist president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling and money laundering. In this context, the Civil Guard is examining the existence of a possible internal plot within the PSOE aimed at discrediting judges, prosecutors, and agents who were investigating cases linked to the government or party leaders.
The pressure also reaches the president's closest circle. On the same day of his appearance, his wife, Begoña Gómez, submitted her passport as a precautionary measure in the context of a judicial case that sends her to trial, amid suspicions of having benefited from her institutional role to advance her professional career.
The atmosphere in Congress reflected the political tension. After the vote, shouts demanding Sánchez's resignation were heard from the PP benches, while PSOE deputies, and even Sánchez himself, responded with standing applause in support of the president.
