Sanchez collapses: scandals and scandals shake his rule

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is facing one of the most difficult times since he came to power eight years ago. A long series of corruption cases, criminal investigations, police raids and political defeats are undermining his position and increasing the pressure on him to advance the country’s elections.

The latest crisis erupted after the Spanish police raided the headquarters of the Socialist ruling party in Madrid this week as part of an investigation into the use of party funds for a campaign designed to harm critics and those who conducted legal proceedings against the government and its allies. As part of the investigation, documents were seized, and among the suspects is Ana Fuentes, who has been responsible for managing the party’s finances since 2021.

According to the investigation file, party officials paid tens of thousands of euros to people who were meant to act against right-wing organizations that filed complaints against Sanchez’s family members. According to the suspicion, fictitious invoices were used in the case to hide the payments.

The leader of the opposition from the conservative party, Alberto Núñez Feijo, claimed that the government was in “death throes” and called on Sánchez to resign and call early elections. “How many more raids? How many more bribes?” asked.

But the affair that particularly shakes the Spanish government is the one related to the former prime minister, Jose Luis Rodríguez Spatero, who is considered a very close ally of Sánchez. The judge investigating his case suspects that Spatro headed a network that used its political influence to obtain a government bailout of 53 million Euros for the “Plus Ultra” airline during the Corona period in 2021.

According to the suspicion, Spatero received 2.6 million euros through various companies, some of which were related to his running partner and some to his daughters. The investigators claim that the network also had ties to the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela and China. Spatero denies all the accusations against him and claims that he has always acted in accordance with the law.

The affair complicates Sánchez because in recent years Spatero has become one of the people closest to him politically. He publicly defended the government’s policies and even helped manage sensitive contacts with the Catalan and Basque allies in the parliament. In addition, Sánchez himself was in power at the time the state approved the aid package for the airline, so questions arise about how the decision was made.

Despite the pressure, Sanchez continues to defend his predecessor. He expressed “full respect for Spatero’s presumption of innocence” and promised full cooperation with the justice system.

But these are far from the only cases that accompany the Spanish government and its leader. Already last year, Sánchez was forced to apologize after it became clear that his senior associate and number 3 in the Socialist Party, Santos Sardan, was being investigated for suspected involvement in a bribery case surrounding public contracts. Sardan denies the allegations.

In the same case, the former Minister of Transportation, Jose Luis Avalios, who was already under investigation on suspicion of taking bribes in procurement cases from the Corona era, was also involved. According to the reports, evidence also emerged that he paid women for prostitution on several occasions, which deepened the embarrassment in the Socialist Party.

But the crisis did not stop at the party itself. Sanchez’s family members are also under legal pressure. His wife, Bagonia Gomes, has been investigated since 2024 on suspicion of several crimes, including embezzlement, influence peddling and improper use of public resources. According to the suspicions, she used her position as the Prime Minister’s wife to promote private interests and obtain a position at the Complutense University in Madrid. Gomes denies the accusations, but it has already been reported that it has been decided to press charges against her.

Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, is also on trial on suspicion of influence peddling and abuse of public office following his appointment to a position in the music industry in the crowded city of Badhus in 2017. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.

Sanchez claims that the cases against his wife and brother are part of a political campaign being waged against his family. According to him, this is a “shameful farce”, and he even questioned the independence of some judges in Spain.

The judicial system itself also became part of the storm. The Attorney General of Spain, Álvaro García Ortiz, who was appointed to the position with the support of the government, was convicted of revealing confidential information in a case involving the spouse of the right-wing leader in Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayoso. Following the conviction, he was banned from holding public office for two years.

At the same time as the legal crises, Sánchez’s political situation continues to deteriorate. In four recent regional elections, the Socialists lost to the Conservative Party. In Andalusia, once considered a socialist stronghold, the party recorded its worst result ever. Polls in the country suggest that if the general election were held now, the conservative People’s Party would win and possibly form a coalition with the far-right Vox party.

Against the background of these things, Sánchez refuses for now to announce early elections. He claims that Spain “needs stability” and that he will only announce elections if it is “in the general interest of the citizens”.

But among his coalition partners, concern is growing. Various parties that help the government stay in power are already signaling that illegal party funding offenses will be a “red line” for them. The Basque National Party also warned that it would be “very difficult” for Sanchez to complete the term until 2027.

It is estimated that there is currently no parliamentary majority that can topple the government with a vote of no confidence, so Sánchez’s fate depends mainly on legal developments and his own decision whether to go to early elections. Meanwhile, the Spanish Prime Minister appears to be biding his time in the hope that the political and media storm will calm down during the summer break.