Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez apologises after top aide implicated in corruption scandal

Published connected 12/06/2025 - 19:13 GMT+2•Updated 20:10

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asked nan federation for forgiveness connected Thursday aft a adjacent confidant successful his Socialist Party was put nether investigation for his alleged information successful a kickback scheme.

The damaging lawsuit is nan latest ineligible scandal, nary of which person gone beyond nan preliminary investigation phase, that person dogged Sánchez's inner statement circle and his family for nan past year.

Sánchez himself hasn't been accused of immoderate wrongdoing.

"I want to inquire forgiveness to nan nationalist because nan Socialist Party and myself arsenic its wide caput not should person trusted him," he said, referring to Socialist lawmaker Santos Cerdán.

Sánchez said hours aft Spain’s Supreme Court said that Cerdán is suspected of being progressive successful an alleged kickback strategy for authorities contracts.

It was portion of an ongoing investigation that already had pointed to nan information of different erstwhile curate successful Sánchez's government.

Cerdán was nan Socialist Party's number 3 charismatic until he resigned connected Thursday.

"I person known Santos Cerdán since 2011...and worked limb successful limb pinch him," he said, adding that nary matter what happens successful nan tribunal lawsuit "this is an tremendous disappointment."

Speaking astatine nan Socialist Party office successful Madrid, Sánchez many times asked nan Spanish nationalist for forgiveness and said that he had learned of nan corruption charges against Cerdán only hours before.

Sánchez said that Cerdán is defending his innocence.

The nationalist enactment of contrition by Sánchez comes astir 14 months aft he took 5 days disconnected to see his governmental early erstwhile a judge launched an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged power peddling.

Instead of resigning, he said he would conflict connected and denounced what he called a “smear campaign” by media outlets aligned pinch right-wing governmental groups.

On Thursday, nan Spanish leader said that he would bid an outer audit of nan Socialist Party's accounts, but he refused to telephone an early predetermination for illustration his governmental opponents person demanded for months.

"There won't beryllium elections until 2027, because this is not astir maine aliases nan Socialist Party. This is astir a task to bring affirmative alteration to nan country," Sánchez said.

Despite starring a number government, Sánchez said that he was judge he could decorativeness his four-year term. He has truthful acold maintained nan backing of his government's inferior members and a myriad of smaller location and leftist parties successful parliament.

"There is nary situation successful my government," Sánchez said.

As caput of nan Socialist Party organisation, Cerdán held nan third-most powerful position successful nan premier minister's party.

Shortly aft nan tribunal made nationalist that location were capable indications that Cerdán was progressive successful nan alleged kickback scheme, Cerdán renounced his spot successful parliament and his statement posts.

While ne'er a minister, Cerdán was charged pinch delicate governmental negotiations, including nan cardinal talks betwixt nan Socialists and Catalan separatist parties that allowed Sánchez to shape a caller authorities successful precocious 2023.

One of Europe's longest-serving leaders, 53-year-old Sánchez has displayed adroit negotiating skills to enactment successful powerfulness since 2018, erstwhile he led Spain's only successful no-confidence mobility against his blimpish Popular Party predecessor.

This week, Spain's Supreme Court besides announced that it would put nan country's charismatic wide connected proceedings complete allegations of leaking confidential accusation successful a taxation fraud lawsuit involving nan fellow of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, nan blimpish caput of nan Madrid region and 1 of Sánchez’s main governmental rivals.

Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people protested successful Madrid against Sánchez successful a rally organised by nan Popular Party nether nan motto "mafia aliases democracy."