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yesterday

Sánchez Appoints Interim Leaders to Navigate Socialist Party Graft Scandal

He remains defiantly in office despite calls for early elections following Supreme Court investigations into senior party figures

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is also a leader of the Socialist ruling party (PSOE), holds a press conference after a Socialist Party meeting following a senior official's alleged graft case at headquarters in Madrid, Spain June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is also a leader of the Socialist ruling party (PSOE), holds a press conference after a Socialist Party meeting following a senior official's alleged graft case at headquarters in Madrid, Spain June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Overview

  • On June 16, Sánchez installed a four-member caretaker team—including former Environment Minister Cristina Narbona and disinformation czar Borja Cabezón—to oversee party operations until a July 5 congress.
  • Santos Cerdán resigned from his role and parliamentary seat after a Supreme Court judge linked him to alleged kickbacks for public works contracts.
  • Sánchez ordered an external audit of Socialist finances and vowed to remove tainted officials, but many party members view these measures as insufficient.
  • Numerous Socialist mayors and regional leaders are privately urging snap elections, warning that prolonged graft fallout threatens the party’s electoral prospects.
  • The opposition People’s Party has refrained from pushing a no-confidence motion, betting that the scandal will continue to erode support for Sánchez’s minority coalition.