Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed a corruption scandal implicating two close aides, Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos, following a police report from Spain’s Civil Guard Central Operative Unit (UCO). The report alleged systematic corruption involving kickbacks in public contract awards, prompting Cerdán, the Socialist Party’s (PSOE) third-highest-ranking member, to resign from party leadership on June 12 and relinquish his parliamentary seat on June 16. Sánchez apologized eight times during a press conference, denying illegal party funding and promising an external audit and party overhaul. On June 16, he appointed four new PSOE leaders to manage the crisis until a July 5 party congress. The scandal, dubbed “Operation Delorme,” initially focused on COVID-19 mask contracts but expanded to broader public works fraud allegations. Sánchez ruled out snap elections, aiming to maintain his coalition government until 2027. The opposition Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox have capitalized on the scandal, with PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo rallying supporters on June 8 under the slogan “mafia or democracy.” A Supreme Court judge invited Cerdán to testify on June 25, while coalition partners like ERC and Bildu demanded stronger anti-corruption measures but refrained from supporting a no-confidence vote. The scandal has intensified political tensions, with Sánchez meeting coalition leaders on June 17 to secure their support.
34news.online
34news.online
