Pedro Sánchez: how a string of corruption allegations could make Spain’s Socialist party a threat to its own coalition |
In recent months, corruption allegations have increasingly surrounded figures close to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, from his wife and brother to former senior officials of his party and even former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Eight years ago, on June 1 2018, Pedro Sánchez became Spain’s prime minister after a successful vote of no confidence against the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy. The motion was triggered by the Gürtel corruption scandal, and was supported by a broad coalition of left-wing and nationalist parties.
That parliamentary majority then became the foundation of a new political cycle in Spain. Since then, Sánchez has governed through a complex alliance bringing together three different groups: his own Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), parties to its left (first Unidas Podemos and later Sumar), and a diverse set of peripheral nationalist forces, mainly located in the Basque Country and Catalonia.
This coalition proved more resilient than many expected. It has survived the pandemic, delivered major social and labour reforms, and secured enough parliamentary support for Sánchez to remain in office after the 2023 general election.
Yet the coalition has now become increasingly fragile. And for the first time since 2018, the source of instability may be the PSOE itself.
The first signs of weakness appeared among the parties to the left of the PSOE. The alliance that once revolved around Unidas Podemos fragmented, while its successor, Sumar, struggled to maintain unity among its constituent parties. The coalition’s second pillar, the nationalist and regional parties that support Sánchez in parliament, has also become more difficult to manage.
The consequences are visible. The government has not approved a new state budget since 2022, relying instead on extensions of previous budgets, and parliamentary defeats have become commonplace.
Despite these difficulties, the PSOE – and Sánchez himself – remained the coalition’s strongest asset. Sánchez consistently outperformed expectations, survived electoral setbacks, and maintained a central position in Spanish politics. While coalition partners generated uncertainty, the Socialists provided stability. That may now be changing.
Read more: Why the rise of a new far-right party in Catalonia spells danger for the Spanish government
Corruption allegations
Over the past two years, a growing number of investigations and allegations have affected figures connected to the........