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MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was reelected as secretary-general of his Socialist Party over the weekend despite corruption probes besetting his inner circle.
One of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, Sánchez has displayed adroit negotiating skills to stay in power since 2018, when he led Spain’s only successful no-confidence motion against his conservative predecessor. Last year he defied polls to win reelection by stitching together a fragile coalition and earning another term through 2027.
But the 52-year-old Sánchez, known abroad for his dashing looks and English fluency, is being corralled by a series of legal cases — all still in the investigative phase — that have focused on a former member of his Cabinet as well as his wife and, most recently, his brother.
Here’s a look at the judicial onslaught that Sánchez and his party say is baseless and part of a right-wing “smear campaign.”
His wife is under scrutiny for influence peddling
Sánchez stunned Spain last April when he said he was taking five days from his public agenda to consider his political future after his wife, Begoña Gómez, had been placed under investigation by a Spanish judge.
He eventually announced he would stay in power and launch an effort to tackle what he called fake news that is “mudding” Spanish politics.
The judge is probing allegations of influence peddling and corruption by Gómez. The allegations were made by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a small group whose leader has links to the far-right. The group calls itself a union and has often tried to litigate against elected officials, and even against the sister of the current king of Spain.
The Socialist Party pounced on the fact that the allegations were based on articles published by media, mostly websites, with right-wing leanings.
Sánchez refused to answer questions when he was summoned by the judge, citing his prerogative as prime minister.
Gómez has also been dragged before a committee led by regional lawmakers in the Madrid region who say they are looking into her role as the director of a master’s program at a public university. She denies any wrongdoing.
His brother is targeted in a separate probe
Also under investigation is the prime minister’s brother, David Sánchez. In that case, too, Manos Limpias was behind the accusations of alleged influence peddling.
Last week, a judge announced she was investigating how David Sánchez was named to his post in the Department of Culture in the Badajoz provincial government in southwest Spain. David Sánchez denied any wrongdoing through his lawyer.
Government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría said last week that while the government respects the separation of powers and the judicial processes, she found “suspicious similarities” between the cases involving the prime minister’s wife and brother.
“We are at ease because we know there is nothing to these cases,” she said.
A former minister tarnished by alleged kickback scheme
Another case that has been on slow boil for several months revolves around an alleged corruption ring of business people and government officials suspected of having taken kickbacks for contracts to buy medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scandal led to the Socialist Party expelling a former transport minister, Luis Ábalos, who had been a close confidant to Sánchez until he reshuffled his Cabinet in 2021 before the scandal broke. Ábalos denies any wrongdoing and has clung to his seat in parliament, now as an independent lawmaker.
The Socialists hit for their handling of a case against a rival party
A tax evasion case against the partner of a fierce political rival of Sánchez, the conservative leader of the powerful Madrid region, has also ended up backfiring politically for the Socialists.
The businessman boyfriend of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a firebrand Popular Party politician in charge of the central Madrid region, is being investigated for not paying his fair share in taxes.
But he hit back accusing state prosecutors of having violated his right to privacy for having leaked confidential financial and personal details. A court took up the complaint and is targeting Spain’s top state prosecutor, who was put in his position by Sánchez’s government. The top state prosecutor has defended his actions.
Last week, things got worse for the Socialists when their top politician in the Madrid region stepped down after he was implicated in the possible revelation of personal information.
Even so, Sánchez’s still has political cover
Still, Sánchez appears to have — at least for now — the political coverage he needs to remain in charge.
He maintains the support of several regional parties that have kept his coalition between his Socialists and the farther-to-the-left Sumar party muddling along.
Also helping his longevity is the fact that the only alternative to his leadership is a right-wing coalition between the Popular Party and the far-right Vox party, a prospect that is anathema to some regional parties whose support was key to Sánchez’s victory last year.
At the meeting of his Socialist Party, Sánchez urged optimism and hit back against his opponents: “Let the right be the ones with regrets and the ashy gray of pessimism.”
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Wilson reported from Barcelona.
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