Spanish Premier Rules Out Early Vote Amid Graft Allegations
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he won't call early elections following graft allegations involving one of his top aide, adding that there will be no vote until 2027, when the government's mandate ends.
Sanchez's senior adviser Santos Cerdan had previously stepped down as member of the parliament as well as from his role of senior Socialist party official. He denied wrongdoing.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Spanish PM vows to fight on as corruption scandal grows
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is fighting to keep his job, as corruption allegations prompted the resignation of a close aide and sparked tension in his minority coalition. The scandal erupted on Thursday after the Supreme Court said Santos Cerdan, the third-highest ranking figure in Sanchez's Socialist party, was suspected of involvement in awarding of public works contracts in return for kickbacks. The case is linked to a broader investigation that already ensnared former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, once a close ally of the prime minister. Sanchez is not accused of any wrongdoing but the case adds to mounting legal scrutiny of his inner circle. His wife, brother and Spain's top prosecutor, who was appointed by Sanchez's government, are all under judicial investigation in separate cases. The scandals-- none of which have gone beyond the preliminary investigation phase -- have fuelled demands from his critics for him to resign and call early elections. Centre-right newspaper El Mundo wrote in an editorial on Friday it was "untenable" for him to continue. The situation was "agonising" for the Socialist leader, who was been in office since 2018, wrote conservative newspaper ABC. Speaking at his party's headquarters on Thursday, a sombre-looking Sanchez apologised for the scandal but vowed to serve out his term until 2027. But his ruling coalition junior partner, far-left party Sumar, called for a change in the government's direction in the wake of the scandal. "It's not enough to say sorry," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, the founder of Sumar, told reporters. At the same time Catalan separatist party Junts has requested an urgent meeting with Socialist leaders to assess the viability of the legislature. Sanchez's fragile minority government relies on Junts to pass laws in parliament. Paloma Roman, a political science professor at Madrid's Complutense University, said Sanchez may be forced to call a confidence vote to reassert control. "What Sanchez needs to do now is to calm his allies' criticism by providing them with more information and addressing the issue of confidence," she told AFP. - 'Earn trust' - The government has so far refused to call a confidence vote. "The prime minister has to keep earning the public's trust every day, as he's doing," Oscar Lopez, a cabinet minister who is close to Sanchez, said Friday during an interview with news radio Cadena Ser. "He has a duty to carry out his campaign promises and not let down the millions who voted for him," he added when asked whether a vote of confidence was being considered. The main opposition Popular Party (PP) has called repeatedly for Sanchez to step down. But PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, has ruled out the idea of proposing a motion in parliament to try to topple Sanchez, warning it could backfire and bolster the Socialist leader if it fails. He instead urged Sanchez's allies to reconsider their support, saying they would be complicit in "the biggest wave of corruption" if they refused. Analysts say Sanchez's coalition partners are reluctant to withdraw their support, fearing that doing so could pave the way for a PP government supported by far-right party Vox -- a prospect many regional and leftist parties view as unacceptable. "They won't let Sanchez fall -- not out of love, but because they fear a PP-Vox government even more," said Roman. Sanchez came to power in June 2018 after ousting his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, in a no-confidence vote over corruption scandals involving the PP. Most recent opinion polls show the PP holding a slim lead over the Socialists. du/ds/jxb
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Spanish PM's far-left ally wants 'reset' after corruption case
By Inti Landauro and Corina Pons MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who leads the ruling coalition's far-left junior party Sumar, called for a "reset" of government on Friday after a corruption investigation forced out a close aide of the prime minister. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has apologised to Spaniards and promised an investigation of his Socialist Party but also resisted critics' calls for a snap election after Thursday's resignation of the party's number three Santos Cerdan. A Supreme Court judge has asked Cerdan to testify over accusations, which he denies, of being involved in the awarding of public works contracts for kickbacks. The fragile government has faced a series of scandals including a high-profile probe into whether Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez used her status to sway business dealings. "This legislature needs an authentic reset," Diaz told reporters. "We will demand right now a meeting of the government coalition ... the only possible way out is a U-turn to take the legislature towards social policies." Sumar pulls the coalition policies leftwards, pressing for less spending on defence and stronger worker protection, for instance. "Forgiveness is not enough," Diaz added, without specifying further what she wanted the government to do. Sanchez's coalition struggles to get any initiatives, such as budget bills, approved by lawmakers. A sombre-looking prime minister said in his address late on Thursday that he regretted trusting Cerdan. He took over as prime minister in 2018 after the biggest corruption investigation in Spain's democratic history netted scores of people linked to the then ruling People's Party, leading to the ejection of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Since then and after two elections in 2019 and 2023, Sanchez has ruled in minority coalitions.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Associated Press
Latin America and Caribbean week in pictures
June 6-12, 2025 Argentina's highest court upheld a six-year prison sentence for former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in a ruling that permanently banned her from public office over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the first lady and president. Miguel Uribe, a conservative Colombian presidential hopeful, was in critical condition after being shot in the head from close range during a campaign rally. People created a human chain along a Rio de Janeiro beach shore as part of a symbolic group hug with the sea to mark World Oceans Day. Brad Pitt donning a buzzcut arrives at a red carpet premiere in Mexico City to promote his latest film, 'F1: The Movie'. This gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published in the past week by The Associated Press from Latin America and the Caribbean. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Anita Baca, based in Mexico City. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: Instagram:
