Sánchez defends the PSOE as a "clean" party and challenges Feijóo.

MadridPedro Sánchez has gone on the attack and, leaving behind the mournful tone of last Thursday, has stood up in his second appearance in four days at the PSOE headquarters regarding the Santos Cerdán case. Having overcome the initial shock over the revelations in the report by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, which implicates the man who until four days ago was the party's number three, in an alleged corruption plotThe Spanish Prime Minister has defended the PSOE as a "clean" party and has once again ruled out early elections. "We will not allow the alleged corruption of a few, which must be resolved in the courts, to jeopardize the country's good momentum, [...] threaten the rights of 48 million people, and [...] bring down the largest progressive government still remaining in the European Union," he stated, and has demanded that the executive should be more than a coalition with Sumar in Spain. On the contrary, Sánchez has challenged the PP to push for a vote of no confidence if they want to oust him and gain the necessary support. The Popular Party has already completely ruled it out because they consider that at present it would be "a breath of fresh air for Sánchezism."

"He has decided on a slow agony, but it will be more painful," warned the PP spokesperson, Borja Sémper, in an appearance immediately following that of the Socialist, whom he criticized for presenting himself as a "victim" and calling for his resignation. However, the PSOE general secretary has remained firm in the roadmap he outlined in the previous press conference despite the climate of pressure from the opposition, his parliamentary partners, and also internally to delve deeper into explanations and decisions regarding the scandal of alleged illegal kickbacks in the awarding of public works. In this regard, Sánchez has also ruled out a vote of confidence and changes in the Spanish government.

What he has announced is that he will promote a commission of inquiry in Congress into the Cerdán case and that he will appear at his own request in the lower house to provide the explanations demanded by his partners, but he has not set a date. Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party has demanded that it be this week and has urged the Plurinational majority to pressure them if they don't want to be "tainted by this tsunami of corruption."

Separately, the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) has agreed to expel former minister José Luis Ábalos as a member of the party. At the same time, Cerdán has resigned from the party and handed in his seat as a member of Congress. "The PSOE is a clean organization," Sánchez argued, asserting that the Cerdán case is "the only thing" that can be attributed to him having trusted his former organization secretary, from whom he has distanced himself. Regarding suspicions of possible irregular financing of the party, the Spanish president denied any evidence in the UCO report and reiterated that he will promote an external audit of the party's accounts despite the fact that the party has just passed one. "The PSOE is the party with the highest levels of transparency in our country," he asserted, criticizing the PP and Vox for coming out in force against the Socialists when "they do not demand the same of themselves," referring to the Kitchen case affecting the PP.

These are the main decisions made at the nearly five-hour meeting of the Socialist leadership. Sources present at the meeting on Ferraz Street explained that everyone was willing to speak and that there was no tension. Sánchez publicly thanked his members, who are Sánchez's core group, for their "empathy and solidarity," as well as their "determination and pride." Some of the party's critics, such as Emiliano García-Page from Castilla-La Mancha, will be present at the federal committee on July 5th, the highest party body between congresses. The committee will meet in Madrid, where they will be present. At the meeting in three weeks, Sánchez will propose the definitive restructuring of his executive committee. For the time being, he has limited himself to temporarily replacing the organizational secretary headed by Cerdán and has appointed four members of the current PSOE leadership to temporarily assume his duties. They will be PSOE president Cristina Narbona; The secretary of the executive and member of the PSC in Congress, Montse Mínguez, and the secretary, Borja Cabezón, as well as the party manager, Ana María Fuentes.

The Socialist General Secretary also addressed reports that Fuentes, the manager, is mentioned in the UCO report cited by Cerdán. The report states that in March 2022, Koldo García, Ábalos's former advisor, warned the Director General of Highways, Javier Herrero, that he had put out to tender some of the suspicious contracts, and that the party's management—which Fuentes took over "at Santos's initiative a few months earlier"—had asked for his phone number. "I think they'll ask you for the tax," warned the former advisor in the government post. Hours later, Herrero explained to Koldo that "they had sent him a form, but they hadn't specified the amount." Sánchez argued that these are "the fees that senior officials," like himself, pay from part of their salaries for contributing to the party's coffers. "This isn't irregular financing; what it does is prevent it," he asserted.

Sánchez admits to having thought of all the scenarios

To maintain the term of office, Sánchez has also initiated a round of contacts with the parliamentary groups supporting his government, who are demanding greater forcefulness. This Monday afternoon, Sánchez kicked things off with a meeting with Second Vice President Yolanda Díaz, of Sumar, at the Moncloa Palace. Podemos has already said that it will plant itThe president of the Spanish executive announced that he will convey to all of them that the Spanish government "wants to continue with its agenda of progress." The Socialist leader admitted that in recent days he has considered "all possible options," including resignation, but that this time of reflection has led him to the conclusion that his "duty as captain is to take the helm and weather the storm." "Handing over the reins of the country to the PP and Vox would be extremely irresponsible," he stated.