Sánchez asks for forgiveness for corruption in PSOE (but removes elections)

Party’s secretary of organization, Santos Cerdán, negotiated commissions of at least 520 thousand euros, paid by construction companies, in the award of public works. Prime Minister says that “there is no crisis in the government.”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged this Thursday “Very serious evidence” of corruption Involving the ‘number three’ of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), but rejected a crisis in the government and the possibility of anticipating elections.

At a press conference at the PSOE headquarters in Madrid, Sánchez assured that only now he knew the report of the police investigation that the party’s secretary of organization, Santos Cerdán, negotiated Commissions of at least 520 thousand eurospaid by construction companies, in the adjudication of public works.

Pedro Sánchez asked “excuse and forgiveness” To all Spaniards and especially PSOE’s militants and supporters and announced an “external audit” to the party’s accounts, despite the “positive reports” of the Court of Auditors about the organization.

Internal restructuring on the way

The PSOE leader also announced, soon, a restructuring of the party management.

“Until this morning I was convinced of the integrity of Santos Cerdán,” said the PSOE leader, who acknowledged having worked very closely with the party’s ‘number three’ since 2014 and having been feeling “deep sadness” and “huge disappointment.”

Santos Cerdán, who guaranteed being innocent, fired Already from the PSOE Board, at the request of Sánchez, and announced that it will also leave the place of deputy.

“There is no crisis in the government”

Sánchez said that this case affects the direction of PSOE, but not the Spanish government and ensured that There is no “government crisis”“Absolute.”

The prime minister rejected, as he did at the end of last week, anticipate elections and again said that the legislature will arrive at the end by 2027. Sánchez also said that he intends to be a candidate for prime minister when there are legislative elections in Spain.

Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister since 2018, was once again elected for the Spanish Parliament in November 2023 for a magnitude of eight parties. Since he was reinvested in office, people close to the prime minister, such as his wife or brother, and former members of the government and the PSOE board, have been suspected of corruption.

The PSOE leader said that with “blunt answers”, such as this, makes the differentiation between “supposed cases and others” that “actually evidence that corroborate them.”