Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently held a news conference to address a corruption scandal that led to the resignation of a senior member of his Socialist party. Despite mounting speculation about his own future, Sánchez distanced himself from the scandal, claiming he had no prior knowledge of the corruption and vowed to revamp the leadership of his party.

He dismissed calls for early elections, affirming that the next national vote would not occur until 2027, and reiterated his commitment to his government's political agenda. Sánchez emphasized that the issue was not about him or the Socialist party.

Although Sánchez has been in power for seven years, his coalition government remains fragile, established after the conservative Popular Party's victory in the 2023 elections failed to form a government. The opposition demanded explanations following the scandal, with Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz also seeking clarity.

This was Sánchez's first public appearance since a national power outage in April, during which he spoke from the Socialist party headquarters in Madrid. He expressed regret for having trusted Santos Cerdán's integrity and apologized to the Spanish people, acknowledging that corruption exists and admitting his own imperfections.

Sánchez accused the conservatives of targeting his government on various fronts, highlighting the ongoing challenges he has faced. In April 2024, he faced another political crisis when his wife became embroiled in allegations related to her business dealings, prompting him to consider stepping down. After deliberating for five days, Sánchez announced his decision to continue in his role during a televised news conference.