Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urges citizens to drink water as corruption scandal erupts

Spain's Supreme Court sentenced former transport minister José Luis Ábalos, the right‑hand man of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to 24 years in prison for a large‑scale corruption scheme involving the procurement of face masks during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The ruling, described as the longest sentence handed down to a minister in Spanish democratic history, sparked intense media scrutiny of the governing Socialist Party.

In response, Sánchez posted a TikTok video warning viewers to "drink water and put on sunscreen" amid a heat wave, a message widely interpreted as an attempt to deflect attention from the scandal. International outlets noted the incident could weaken the government and fuel calls for its resignation, while domestic commentators highlighted the dissonance between the prime minister’s light‑hearted advice and the serious corruption charges facing his close associate.