Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Faces Growing Opposition Over Corruption Allegations

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed the Spanish parliament, rejecting accusations of corruption within his Socialist Workers' Party and criticizing a court order that restricts his wife, Begoña Gómez, from leaving the country during her trial. He described the allegations as unfounded and said no such practices were known to him.

In the same session, the lower house adopted a non‑binding resolution urging Sanchez to resign, passing 177 votes to 171 with one abstention. The motion was supported by the main opposition People’s Party, its far‑right allies, and the pro‑Catalan separatist party Hunts, which had previously backed Sanchez’s government. Justice Minister Félix Bolaño dismissed the vote as merely symbolic. Sanchez reiterated his intention to remain in office.

The opposition’s call follows a series of investigations, including the conviction of former transport minister José Luis Ábalos for corruption linked to COVID‑19 procurement contracts and a probe into former premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. These cases have intensified scrutiny of Sanchez’s coalition.