The partners save Sánchez but demand that he comply

Madrid"A matter of trust overcome." This is how Spanish government sources summarized Pedro Sánchez's crucial appearance this Wednesday in Congress in the wake of the Cerdán case, the corruption scandal that could prevent the Spanish government from reaching office in 2027. The Moncloa knew that the future of the legislature was at stake in this debate, especially given the pressure it could put on him. In return, the head of the State's executive branch has pledged to abide by the agreements and has announced a anti-corruption measures planWith the exception of Coalición Canaria, none of them have demanded that he submit to a genuine vote of confidence, despite the fact that the head of the state's executive has not resolved all the unknowns that still exist surrounding the corruption affecting the PSOE. However, Sánchez does not have a consolidated majority either - Podemos is already positioned in an electoral framework - and the acid test will come when important votes begin to arrive in Congress.

"I have a deep sense of disappointment in myself and in those whom I should never have trusted. But also the certainty of being a clean politician and the pride of someone who leads an exemplary party," Sánchez asserted. "I know it's harder to believe than to believe," he admitted when he insisted that "he was unaware of the corruption in which José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán could be involved." In a quick summary, Sánchez summarized his relationship with his two former organizing secretaries in the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and revealed that in November 2024, he summoned Cerdán to the Moncloa Palace when the first rumors about his alleged involvement in the Koldo case surfaced. "He denied everything. That they were unfounded accusations. I believed him because I thought I knew the simple life he led in Madrid, also in his town in Navarre, and I had seen him work without any evidence to the contrary," he explained.

Many questions remain unanswered, such as whether he dismissed Ábalos in the summer of 2021 because he had information about him, but Sánchez sidestepped the issue, to the chagrin of some parties such as the PNV and Podemos. The Socialist leader simply apologized and acknowledged that he considered resigning or calling elections. "The easiest thing would be to throw in the towel, but we don't do the easy thing, we do the right thing. We will continue to move forward, always forward," he stressed. "I aspire to regain the trust of the groups that have supported the legislature. I will be up to the task, I will satisfy their aspirations for regeneration, and I will fulfill the commitments I have with them," he promised.

Díaz: "I know you are honest"

Despite the death of her father this Tuesday, the Second Vice President of the Spanish government, Yolanda Díaz, wanted to speak on behalf of Sumar and immediately gave Sánchez a boost. "I know you are honorable, but the public is distressed by corruption and by the right-wing government. Today I take the floor on behalf of my father, who would not want the right-wing government to govern," the Minister of Labor emphasized, also calling for a boost to the social agenda, as the Spanish Prime Minister acknowledged. For the time being, Sánchez can also count on ERC (Republican Left) as long as the Cerdán case does not escalate. If it directly implicates the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) or the Prime Minister's complicity is discovered, they would call for elections. "There will come a point where your continued presence will not hold back the right or the far right, but will mean that when you enter, you will do so for good. And we will not go there," she warned him.

For Junts, Míriam Nogueras has not announced any break with the PSOE either, despite insisting that her party "is not part of any bloc" and that Sánchez "is in an extension." The spokesperson for the pro-independence party has demanded compliance with the investiture pact, and on two occasions, the Spanish president has noted that the "political conflict" between Catalonia and the Spanish state has not ended with the amnesty—thus adopting Junts' narrative—in a clear correction to the speech by Justice Minister Félix Bolaños, who this week called for a kind of full stop. "It's the beginning of the journey," Sánchez clarified.

The Basque political parties have not yet broken their cards, although the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) did warn that Sánchez's explanations were insufficient. Its spokesperson, Maribel Vaquero, demanded that Sánchez provide sufficient details to "encapsulate" the Cerdán case and make it clear that he is limiting himself to the three individuals mentioned and, subsequently, "build a proposal around a majority to continue the legislature." "If not, he has three alternatives: a vote of confidence, resignation, or calling elections." "He's not going all out, but he does have a rough outline," she added. From EH Bildu, Mertxe Aizpurua acknowledged that the situation is "extremely delicate," but expressed more concern that a hypothetical fall of this government could lead to the entry of "reactionary and recentralizing" forces. Ultimately, the party members want the legislature to continue, and sources from the Moncloa (Ministry of Justice) thank them for their "generosity."

Feijóo: "He's not laughing so much anymore"

On the right, Alberto Núñez Feijóo honored the renewed PP and took his attacks to the extreme, prompting a harsh rebuttal from Sánchez, in which he reviewed the conservative party's corrupt history. "Remember the laughter? You don't laugh so much anymore," Feijóo began his speech, recalling the day the PSOE leader mocked the PP leader during the investiture debate for having said, "I'm not president because I don't want to be." Feijóo painted a portrait of a failed president with a mandate originating from a "corrupt transaction"—the amnesty, "power through impunity"—and now tainted by classic corruption, the kind that brought an end to Mariano Rajoy. "They arrived at the Moncloa and didn't get to work, they just got to work. They didn't come to clean anything up, but to dirty everything," he reproached him.

Feijóo's outbursts And the broken bridges between the PP and the PNV have proved to be a blessing for Sánchez, who "comes out of the debate better than he came in," according to those close to him. "He's one of those who misses with an empty net," says one minister, referring to the conservative leader. Moncloa doesn't want to live with the anxiety of what new audio recording will be published and celebrates having survived a key day in Congress, proof of the fragility of a president who is kept on life support by partners who, deep down, continue to make good on the scarecrow of a PP and Vox government.