Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister, is facing a mounting crisis as he approaches his eighth year in office. A series of scandals involving his government and the Socialist Party have generated calls for his resignation and raised questions about his political future.

Legal Troubles for Sánchez’s Allies

Sánchez’s brother, David, went on trial on Thursday accused of influence peddling. He was appointed to a musical post in Badajoz without undergoing a selection process and did not carry out his duties, according to the allegations.

Former Socialist prime minister and close Sánchez ally José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been named in an investigation into alleged money laundering. Zapatero is accused of using his influence to secure a €53m government bailout of Plus Ultra airline in 2021 and receiving a commission in return. He is due to be questioned in court on 17 June and has insisted he has done nothing illegal, with Sánchez’s support.

Police raided the Socialist headquarters in Madrid this week as part of a probe into a campaign to discredit investigators. Member Leire Díez is accused of carrying out this campaign, although she denies the allegations.

Broader Corruption Investigations

The Socialist Party has been under scrutiny since 2023, when José Luis Ábalos, a former transport minister and deputy party leader, was implicated in a network that allegedly received kickbacks from the sale of €50m (£43m) worth of facemasks during the pandemic. Ábalos, who denies involvement but was expelled from the party, recently went on trial and is awaiting the verdict.

Ábalos was also implicated in a broader kickbacks-for-contracts case along with Socialist Party number three Santos Cerdán. Sánchez had defended Cerdán until evidence from the probe was made public. Both Cerdán and Ábalos deny wrongdoing.

Investigations into the business affairs of Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, have been ongoing since 2024, with a judge proposing she go on trial for misuse of funds and influence peddling. She has been summoned for a preliminary hearing on 9 June.

Political Alliances and Future Prospects

Sánchez’s minority coalition government has struggled to manage its parliamentary partners, an array of regional nationalist and left-wing parties, preventing it from approving a single new budget this legislature. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has hinted that waiting until 2027 for the next election would be an “irresponsibility”.

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo described the scandals as a “criminal carousel” and called for Sánchez to resign and bring forward next year’s general election. However, Sánchez has insisted he will see out the parliament’s full legislative term.

Political analyst Paco Camas noted that Sánchez has a history of resilience and that the summer break could provide the government with a respite, allowing it to recover political initiative in September. The outcome of ongoing investigations will likely determine Sánchez’s future, with further explosive cases potentially triggering an exodus of parliamentary partners.

Political scientist Lluís Orriols suggested that an internal rebellion among mayors and regional leaders could impact the May 2027 local elections. However, no such revolt is currently evident.

“This is a government which has been in a very delicate situation for some time now,” said Orriols. “Don’t rule out the possibility of it running out of air soon.”