Caretaker committee headed by Javier Fernández
138-656: Pedro Sánchez The 39th Federal Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party was held in Madrid between 16 and 18 June 2017, to elect a new party leadership in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and set out the party's main lines of action and strategy, after the sacking of Pedro Sánchez as party leader in October 2016 had resulted in a caretaker leadership being appointed. The primary election
276-404: A party crisis which weakened Sánchez's standing and indicated a loss of support for him within the party. Sánchez refused to step down and instead proposed to have the congress held immediately, scheduling it for 12 and 13 November and the primary election for 23 October, while daring his critics to challenge him in a back-me-or-sack-me vote. This move enraged his opponents, who subsequently forced
414-498: A party crisis , dubbed by some in the media as the "war of the roses", after Sánchez called a special PSOE congress for the autumn to settle the issue. This prompted half of the PSOE executive committee to resign, and on Saturday, 1 October 2016, Sánchez lost a vote in the PSOE federal committee to support his proposals for an autumn congress; he immediately resigned as Secretary-General and was replaced by an interim "caretaker committee" while
552-416: A "centrist" and " social liberal " platform, before moving further left in his successful 2017 bid to return to the leadership, during which he stood for a "re-foundation of social democracy ", to transition to a "post-capitalist society", ending " neoliberal capitalism ". One key idea posed in his 2019 Manual de Resistencia book is "the indissoluble link between 'social democracy' and 'Europe'". Sánchez
690-495: A PP government—or, as former PSOE leader, set a bad precedent by disobeying the decision of the highest party governing body, the federal committee. Right after government formation, in an exclusive interview for laSexta 's Salvados news show, Pedro Sánchez publicly accused Susana Díaz's allies within the party and the "financial powers"—specially the PRISA Group , owner of El País media outlet—of having coerced him into avoiding
828-409: A PSOE candidate, under the local leadership of Trinidad Jiménez . He was 23rd on the proportional representation list, but missed out as the PSOE won only 21 seats. Sánchez joined the council a year later by co-option when two of the PSOE councillors resigned. He quickly rose to become a close confidante of Trinidad Jiménez, who sought the leadership of the council. In 2005, he was seconded to help lead
966-658: A crisis in Santander after it was exposed that the local mayor, Gema Igual from the People's Party , was in a similar situation—. Then on 4 April, a recording leaked to the media showed Miguel Ángel Heredia, Secretary General in the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Congress and one of Díaz's closest aides, heavily criticizing Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias —dubbing him an "enemy" to PSOE—as well as Sánchez's supporters in
1104-501: A defiance to his rivals, such as one scheduled in Seville —Díaz's home province—for 28 January. It was later revealed that López was among those who advised Sánchez to resign his seat, a move which deprived him of a public platform from where to launch his leadership run and for which Sánchez was said to feel "deeply betrayed". Concurrently, Susana Díaz was determined to launch her bid in the ensuing weeks and started assembling campaign teams in
1242-765: A degree in business leadership from IESE Business School in the University of Navarra , a private university and apostolate of the Opus Dei , and a diploma in Advanced Studies in EU Monetary Integration from the Instituto Ortega y Gasset in 2002. In 2012, Sánchez received his Doctorate in Economics from Camilo José Cela University, where he lectured in economics. In 2003, Sánchez stood for Madrid City Council as
1380-533: A fresh leadership election could be organised. Soon after his resignation, the PSOE caretaker committee decided to abstain in the investiture vote, which would enable the PP's Mariano Rajoy to be re-elected as prime minister. Saying that he could not obey this directive as it would mean "betraying his word" not to allow Rajoy to be re-elected, Sánchez resigned his seat in the Congress of Deputies, and declared he would stand in
1518-597: A government, to do what we think is best for our country, its coexistence, stability and progress" and the Catalan conflict needs "that the word, dialogue, coexistence and the capacity for reunion take on a leading role that should never have been lost". Following the 2023 general election , the Congress of Deputies passed the Organic Law 1/2024, of amnesty for the institutional, political and social normalization in Catalonia ,
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#17328847165781656-668: A helicopter crash and visit those deployed due to an earthquake. At the NATO summit in Lisbon in 2010, she informed that the Spanish Armed Forces would start the transference of two Afghan provinces under their control in 2011, three years before the established date by the Alliance for the retreat of the troops. As a minister, the country's Emergency State of the democracy was decreed for the air traffic controllers' crisis in 2010. She also chaired
1794-540: A key ballot on his congress' proposal by 132 votes to 107. A caretaker managing committee headed by Asturias President Javier Fernández was appointed to lead the party until the party congress to elect a new leadership could be organized. Concurrently with the ongoing PSOE crisis, the government formation process continued as the People's Party of Mariano Rajoy had secured the support of both Citizens and Canarian Coalition for Rajoy's investiture. The PSOE caretaker leadership appointed after Sánchez's sacking approved
1932-610: A law guaranteeing equal pay between the sexes, before dissolving the Congress of Deputies and holding a general election. However, he also said he would uphold the 2018 budget that had already been passed by the Rajoy Government, a condition that the Basque Nationalist Party required to vote for the motion of no confidence. Sánchez also announced he would only propose other measures if they had considerable parliamentary support, re-affirming his government's compliance with
2070-422: A left-wing pact with Podemos and nationalist parties throughout the entire government formation process, accusing them of triggering the internal revolt within PSOE to oust him once he considered a serious attempt at forming such an alliance. Taking advantage of the internal disarray resulting from Sánchez's demise, Susana Díaz , main orchestrator of the party revolt that brought him down, became widely regarded as
2208-458: A letter in the X social network that he was considering his resignation from the position of prime minister, citing a right-wing media offensive to wear him down. Several media noted how Manos Limpias' charges against Sánchez's wife were based on press headlines and fake news, a fact that the trade union acknowledged as possible. On 26 April 2024 and in a joint investigation, elDiario.es , El País and La Vanguardia newspapers revealed
2346-500: A majority. After talks to form a government failed, Sánchez again won the most votes at the November 2019 general election , forming a minority coalition government with Unidas Podemos , the first national coalition government since the country's return to democracy. After the PSOE suffered significant losses in regional elections in May 2023, Sánchez called a snap general election , which saw
2484-541: A minimal infrastructure able to grant his campaign the required resources for remaining competitive. Meanwhile, Susana Díaz embarked herself in a tour through PSOE territories hostile to her in order to mobilize her supporters, starting in Castile and León from 20 to 22 January. In León , her presence was received amid a polarized environment, with protesters booing and shouting " ¡No es no! " ( Spanish for "No means no", an unofficial slogan that referred to Sánchez's opposition to
2622-488: A party primary and, consequently, thwarting her planned rise, resulted in the PSOE–A backing a dark horse candidate, then-relatively unknown deputy Pedro Sánchez , ahead of the previous federal congress . Thanks to Díaz's support, Sánchez was able to win the primary election by a wide margin and become the new PSOE Secretary General. However, the alliance between Sánchez and Díaz was short-lived. Díaz's initial plans to become
2760-543: A plot by the PP, dating back to Mariano Rajoy 's government in 2014, to spy and produce information on Sánchez's and Gómez's relatives to "politically kill him" by using Manos Limpias to present criminal charges. On 27 April, thousands gathered outside the PSOE's headquarters in Calle Ferraz, Madrid, in an effort to persuade Sánchez not to resign. The case has drawn comparisons to António Costa 's resignation in Portugal over
2898-455: A possible succession struggle in Andalusia in the event she choose to step down as regional President and leader. Finally on 12 March, several media outlets confirmed that Susana Díaz was poised to announce her bid during a large party rally in Madrid on 26 March, with the party structure under her influence quickly coalescing around her in order to prevent a Pedro Sánchez's win in the primary. In
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#17328847165783036-554: A report, in which it communicated to the court that there are multiple indications of misappropriation in the registry in Begoña's name of a software of the University. The report also denounces that contracts and expenses have been issued in the name of the University without Begoña being authorized to do so. Gómez replied by arguing that she signed the software's register because the University explicitly required her to do so. On 22 July,
3174-460: A requirement for his 2023 investiture by Catalan pro-independence parties Together for Catalonia and Republican Left of Catalonia , which aimed at pardoning all those sentenced or prosecuted between 2011 and 2023 for Catalan independence, becoming the second amnesty law after the Law 46/1977, of amnesty . Notwithstanding as of November 2024, no politician has benefitted from the law. Sánchez took
3312-633: A result, the PSOE demanded all candidates to redirect their funding through a bank account under the party's ownership, something which was initially rejected by Sánchez—who also questioned the legality of such a move—to the party's outrage. On 28 March, the Spanish Court of Auditors ruled in favour of the party's stance and required for Sánchez to respect the financing rules laid down by PSOE. Sánchez reluctantly complied and subsequently shut down his crowdfunding. Díaz and Sánchez's positions were seen as frontally antagonistic. Whereas Díaz claimed herself to be
3450-607: A rushed leadership race. However, the challenge posed by Eduardo Madina—whose pressure forced a primary election to be held on 13 July—, Díaz's own desire to become party leader by acclamation and not through a bitter leadership contest which could see her popularity eroded, as well as opposition from within the PSOE–A—members of which asked her to remain in Andalusia—motivated Diaz's decision not to run. Nonetheless, Díaz's opposition to Madina for his maneuvers to trigger
3588-700: A seat in the Congress. As Leader of the Opposition, Sánchez joined Mariano Rajoy in opposing the 2017 Catalan independence referendum , and supported the Spanish Government's decision to dismiss the Catalan Government and impose direct rule on Catalonia in October 2017 following the crisis. Throughout 2017 and 2018, the Gürtel trial caused controversy for the Rajoy Government; finally, after critical verdicts were announced in May 2018, Sánchez announced that
3726-404: A series of pro-independence and regionalist political parties, the Congress of Deputies re-elected Sánchez as Prime Minister on 16 November 2023; he was formally appointed to a third term the following day, sparking protests . Following weeks of political tensions, which saw Sánchez accepting an amnesty law for Catalan pro independence politicians convicted or investigated for events related to
3864-401: A speech to a crowd of 5,000 supporters, Susana Díaz formally announced her candidacy on 26 March as planned, supported by former PSOE leaders Felipe González , José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba , as well as party figures such as Eduardo Madina, Alfonso Guerra , Carme Chacón , José Bono , 11 former ministers, dozens of local mayors and deputation presidents and most of
4002-667: A teenager, Sánchez spent time in Dublin to learn English. In 1993, Sánchez first joined the PSOE, following the victory of Felipe González in that year's general election . He earned a licentiate degree from the Real Colegio Universitario María Cristina , attached to the Complutense University of Madrid , in 1995. Following his graduation, he moved to New York City to work for a global consulting firm. In 1998, Sánchez moved to Brussels to work for
4140-778: A temporary refugee camp in the air base of Torrejón de Ardoz , which was later visited by officials from the European Union, including President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel . Von der Leyen praised the Sánchez Government's initiative, stating that the actions of Spain represented "a good example of the European soul at its best". US President Joe Biden spoke with Sánchez to allow
4278-580: A very active role in the international sphere, particularly in the European Union, saying that "Spain has to claim its role" and declaring himself "a militant pro-European". On 16 January 2019, in a speech before the European Parliament , he said that the EU should be protected and turned into a global actor, and that a more social Europe is needed, with a strong monetary union. He stated in a speech in March 2019 that
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4416-515: Is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since 2017, having previously held that office from 2014 to 2016, and was elected President of the Socialist International in 2022. Sánchez began his political career in 2004 as a city councillor in Madrid, before being elected to
4554-629: Is also a strong opponent of prostitution and has advocated for its abolition. Sánchez married Begoña Gómez in 2006 and have two daughters. The civil wedding was officiated by Trinidad Jiménez . Sánchez is an atheist . Aside from Spanish, Sánchez speaks fluent English and French. He is the first Spanish Prime Minister to be fluent in English while in office (former Prime Minister José María Aznar became fluent in English after leaving office). Foreign languages were not widely taught in Spanish schools until
4692-400: The 2014 European Parliament election , Sánchez launched his campaign to succeed him on 12 June 2014. He was elected as PSOE Secretary-General on 13 July, winning 49% of votes against his opponents Eduardo Madina and José Antonio Pérez Tapias . He was formally appointed Secretary-General after an Extraordinary Congress of the PSOE was held on 26 July to ratify the result, becoming Leader of
4830-569: The 2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis and the 2019–2020 Catalan protests , he was able to secure enough support to be re-elected as prime minister by an absolute majority on 16 November 2023. Sánchez's re-election and amnesty law proposal sparked protests . Sánchez criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war . He promised to "work in Europe and in Spain to recognise
4968-469: The Congress of Deputies in 2009. In 2014, he was elected Secretary-General of the PSOE, becoming Leader of the Opposition . He led the party through the inconclusive 2015 and 2016 general elections , but resigned as Secretary-General shortly after the latter, following public disagreements with the party's executive . He was re-elected in a leadership election eight months later, defeating internal rivals Susana Díaz and Patxi López . On 1 June 2018,
5106-581: The Constitutional Court of Spain , acting upon the 2020 appeal by Vox , sentenced by a narrow majority (6 votes in support vs. 5 votes against) that the state of alarm was unconstitutional in the part of suppressing the freedom of movement established by the Article 19 of the Constitution of Spain . After the PSOE suffered heavy losses in a series of regional and local elections across Spain, with
5244-481: The Nuclear Safety Council . In December 2013, after publishing a book outlining a new policy direction, with numerous leading PSOE figures such as Elena Valenciano , Trinidad Jiménez , Miguel Sebastián , and José Blanco López attending the launch, his began to be considered a future candidate for the PSOE leadership. After the resignation of PSOE leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba , following poor results at
5382-513: The Operation Influencer investigation, which attracted criticism for several mistakes. On 29 April, Sánchez announced that he would not be resigning despite a "harassment and bullying operation" and that he would be fighting "even harder" as prime minister. His spouse Begoña Gómez is charged with crimes of influence peddling and corruption in business and was called to testify on 19 July 2024. She refused to testify. Witnesses in
5520-466: The PP and Vox winning a large number of seats, Sánchez surprised many by announcing a snap general election for 23 July. In a speech confirming the election, Sánchez stated that it was important to listen to the will of the people, but stressed the need to persevere with post-COVID economic recovery measures implemented by his government, and that he would seek to prevent the formation a PP-Vox Government. At
5658-710: The PSdG (PSOE's sister party in Galicia ) campaign in the Galician regional election , which saw the PSdG win enough seats to allow their leader, Emilio Pérez Touriño , to become President of Galicia. As well as his career as a Madrid City Councillor, Sánchez also worked as a university lecturer at the Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) in 2008, lecturing on Economic Structure and History of Economic Thought. Via co-option, Sánchez
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5796-562: The People's Party (PP), who won with 123 seats. As the PP could not form a government, Sánchez was formally requested by the King in January 2016 to attempt to form a coalition, but he could not win the support of a majority of representatives. This led to a snap general election in June 2016, where the PSOE lost several seats and remained second to the PP. Following the 2016 general election, Sánchez argued
5934-492: The Spanish transition to democracy , with the party reduced to just 90 seats and 5.5 million votes. Left-wing newcomer Podemos had finished within striking distance, winning 69 seats and 5.2 million votes, boosted by massive support from young voters, raising fears among some PSOE leaders that Podemos could eventually replace their party as the dominant Spanish party to the left-of-centre. Secretary General Pedro Sánchez, who had led
6072-717: The Tetuán district, he went on to study at the Colegio Santa Cristina. According to Sánchez himself, he frequented breakdancing circles in AZCA when he was a teenager. He moved from the Colegio Santa Cristina to the Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu, a public high school where he played basketball in the Estudiantes youth system , with links to the high school, reaching the U-21 team. As
6210-603: The University of Girona between 1994 and 2004. Chacón was a member of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since 1994. She was first elected as a PSOE member of parliament for Barcelona in the 2000 election. In the same year, she became vice-president of the Spanish Congress of Deputies ( Lower House ) in José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 's legislature and she
6348-693: The Washington summit in July 2024, Sánchez urged NATO members to avoid "double standards" regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, saying, "If we demand respect for international law in Ukraine, we must demand it in Gaza as well." On 24 April 2024, due to a court investigation of his wife, Begoña Gómez , for alleged influence peddling charges presented by Manos Limpias , a far-right proxy trade union, Sánchez announced through
6486-608: The formation of a PP government ) and accusing her of "handing over power to one of Europe's most corrupt parties". Díaz and López called for party unity ahead of the congress so as to avoid turning the primaries campaign into a "fratricide battle" that could further aggravate the party crisis, both aware that Sánchez's presence in the race would deeply divide the grassroots. In his 28 January rally in Dos Hermanas , Seville, which gathered over 1,500 people, Pedro Sánchez announced his run for party leadership. Patxi López welcomed Sánchez to
6624-533: The "debate on proposals" and stated that it was now time of "confronting projects". Meanwhile, Susana Díaz, who concurrently was in a party meeting in Alcalá de los Gazules ( Cádiz ), remained unsettled on Sánchez's announcement and kept refusing to disclose when would she announce her bid, commenting that "it isn't time to talk about leaderships now" but of "strengthening the party with a winning project, without any complex and useful to Spain". As two candidates had entered
6762-566: The 2007 Historical Memory Law to allow for the exhumation of Franco's remains from the Valley of the Fallen. After a year of legal battles with Franco's descendants, the exhumation took place on 24 October 2019, and Franco was reburied at Mingorrubio Cemetery in El Pardo with his wife Carmen Polo . After the 2019 sentence of Catalonian independence leaders , Sánchez confirmed his government's support of
6900-530: The 38th Federal Congress of PSOE, Chacón lost against Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba 487 to 465 votes. Since PSOE's Extraordinary Congress, celebrated in July 2014, Chacón handled the Socialist party's international relations. When Rubalcaba later announced his resignation after his party's dismal showing in the 2014 European elections , Chacón was widely seen as one of the frontrunners for his replacement, but did not run. She left politics in 2016 to practice law. She
7038-586: The Civil Guard report appreciates clear indications of a crime. The Spanish Attorney General , Álvaro García Ortiz , appointed by Pedro Sánchez, , was charged with the crime of revealing secrets by leaking e-mails from the Prosecutor's Office to the boyfriend of the president of the Community of Madrid , Isabel Díaz Ayuso . His official office has been searched and his phones and computers tapped. Both Ortiz and
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#17328847165787176-549: The Congress of Deputies and former Lehendakari Patxi López publicly announced his bid as candidate on 15 January, with President of the Regional Government of Andalusia Susana Díaz and Sánchez himself following suit. The election resulted in Pedro Sánchez being re-elected as Secretary General in a landslide. Sánchez would ultimately lead the PSOE into government after a successful vote of no confidence which would see Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his People's Party ousted from power. Susana Díaz became President of
7314-468: The Congress to guarantee passage of the motion. On Friday, 1 June 2018, 180 Deputies supported the motion of no confidence, clearing the required threshold of 176, leading to Rajoy's resignation and recommendation of Sánchez to succeed him. Sánchez was formally installed as Prime Minister of Spain by King Felipe VI on 2 June 2018. Outlining his priorities, Sánchez said he would form a short-term government that would increase unemployment benefit and propose
7452-415: The Congress. He subsequently enrolled at the UCJC to study a Doctorate in Economics, earning his PHD 18 months later by writing a dissertation entitled Innovaciones de la diplomacia económica española: Análisis del sector público (2000–2012) (English translation: Innovations of Spanish Economic Diplomacy: Analysis of the Public Sector (2000–2012)), supervised by María Isabel Cepeda González. In 2018, Sánchez
7590-432: The EU deficit requirements. As Sánchez swore his oath of office to the Spanish Constitution , no Bible or crucifix were used for the first time in modern Spanish history, due to Sánchez's atheism. On 18 June 2018, the Sánchez Government announced its intention to remove the remains of former dictator Francisco Franco from the Valley of the Fallen . On 24 August the Cabinet approved a decree modifying two aspects of
7728-416: The May primaries: "the abstention [to Rajoy] or the [party's] grassroots", while proclaiming that the PSOE itself had to choose whether to be "in front of" or "below or next" to the PP. Sánchez also clashed with the PSOE's managing committee on his campaign's financing: Sánchez's crowdfunding system—through which he had received €38,000 in the first way of its opening, far beyond expectations—was rejected by
7866-412: The Ministry of Culture's Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música ( lit. ' National Institute of the Performing Arts and Music ' ). He later became the owner of an industrial packing company. His mother also worked as a civil servant, in the social security system, and later studied to become a lawyer, ultimately graduating alongside her son at the same university. Raised in
8004-418: The Ministry's residence, which has its own kindergarten, so as not to waste time travelling between her home and her workplace. That year surveys results points to her as the most influential minister of Mr Zapatero's cabinet. In 2009, Carme announced the controversial withdrawal of Spanish troops set in Kosovo due to its unrecognizable independence proclamation for the country. Despite the strong opposition of
8142-422: The Opposition . Presenting a platform based on political regeneration, Sánchez called for constitutional reforms establishing federalism as the form of administrative organisation of Spain to ensure that Catalonia would remain within the country; a new progressive fiscal policy; extending the welfare state to all citizens; increasing the membership of labour unions to strengthen economic recovery; and regaining
8280-451: The PSOE called a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy , successfully passing the motion after winning the support of Unidas Podemos , as well as various regionalist and nationalist parties. Sánchez was appointed prime minister by King Felipe VI the following day. He went on to lead the PSOE to gain 38 seats in the April 2019 general election , the PSOE's first national victory since 2008 , although they fell short of
8418-477: The PSOE candidate at the next general election were impeded by Sánchez's own growing political aspirations. This, coupled with personal differences derived from Sánchez's management over the party, seen as alienating the different party families, caused both leaders to grow increasingly distrustful of each other and to develop a personal rivalry. Susana Díaz took advantage of growing criticism to Sánchez's leadership, succeeding in causing many long-standing rivals within
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#17328847165788556-456: The PSOE had to recover its spirit to "win elections". Amid rumours that she intended to make her announcement after the Andalusia Day holiday on 28 February—in order to prevent eclipsing the holiday's institutional celebration—she responded that it was "a government event" and that she was not going to "talk about [her] party". Díaz kept staging various acts as she was allegedly awaiting for the best time to make her announcement, seeking to prevent
8694-423: The PSOE hold all of its seats; despite finishing second behind the People's Party , Sánchez was able to again form a coalition government , and was appointed to a third term as Prime Minister on 17 November 2023. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón was born in 1972 in Madrid to well-off parents, Pedro Sánchez Fernández and Magdalena Pérez-Castejón. His father was a public administrator who spent most of his career at
8832-588: The PSOE leadership race was postponed indefinitely until a new government was appointed, due to increasing odds of a fresh election being called for 26 June . The party's performance in the eventual 2016 general election, where it narrowly avoided being decisively overcome by the Unidos Podemos coalition, only temporarily halted criticism from party critics. Serious setbacks in the Basque and Galician elections held on 25 September, which had been turned by dissenters into an electoral test of Sánchez, prompted immediate calls for resignation among his opponents, unleashing
8970-504: The PSOE leadership to suspend their campaigns for the ensuing days in a show of respect. Little activity ensued during the Holy Week holidays in mid-April, with the candidates focused in the collection of endorsements from 20 April to 4 May. The key dates are listed below (all times are CET ): The individuals in this section were the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but publicly denied or recanted interest in running: Candidates seeking to run were required to collect
9108-491: The PSOE should refuse to allow the PP to form a government, which would break the national political deadlock. Susana Díaz , the President of Andalusia , began to lead criticism of Sánchez's leadership, arguing that his hardline position on government formation was harming the party. After poor results for the PSOE in the September Basque and Galician regional elections , numerous PSOE figures followed Díaz in calling for Sánchez's resignation. The situation quickly developed into
9246-426: The PSOE would file a motion of no confidence against Rajoy. Under the Spanish Constitution, such motions are constructive , meaning those bringing the motion must simultaneously propose a replacement candidate for prime minister. Accordingly, the PSOE nominated Sánchez as the alternative prime minister. Sánchez led negotiations with other political parties, and ultimately secured the support of enough minor parties in
9384-419: The PSOE" and for his party colleagues to avoid a "major clash" that could result in a permanent rupture. On 1 April, the party officially set the primary election for 21 May, with candidates intending to run required to obtain the endorsements of at least 5% of party members between 20 April and 4 May in order to be eligible. As in the 2014 primary, voting was restricted to party members. The congress timetable
9522-417: The PSOE's delegation to the European Parliament , including as an assistant to the MEP Bárbara Dührkop . He also spent time working in the staff of the United Nations High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , Carlos Westendorp . Combining studies with his employment, he earned a second degree, in Politics and Economics, in 1998, graduating from the Université libre de Bruxelles . He also earned
9660-433: The Palestinian state". Along with Leo Varadkar of Ireland, he has been widely recognized as one of the most pro-Palestine voices and critics with the Israeli actions within the European Union. Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024, with the borders established in 1967, in coordination with Ireland and Norway. On 6 June 2024 Spain joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel . Speaking at
9798-444: The Regional Government of Andalusia and Secretary General of the PSOE–A succeeding José Antonio Griñán —who had resigned as a result of political fallout derived from the ERE scandal—after a rapid ascent among party ranks throughout the previous years. Known for her political ambition, her power and influence grew as she became the leader of the most powerful Spanish Socialist Workers' Party regional federation, as well as premier of
9936-569: The Regional Government of Andalusia with that of PSOE Secretary General if elected. While Patxi López had been the first to announce his run and had quickly seen the anti-Díaz coalition coalesce around him, he did not obtain the express support of historical party leaders and long-time friends such as Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba —who disassociated himself from Lopez's strategy and praised Díaz's "political strength"—. He also stirred up suspicions among Pedro Sánchez's remaining loyalists that his move
10074-407: The Spanish government argued that the leak came from the Madrid government's office in order to create a fake news piece on Ayuso's boyfriend agreements with the Prosecutor's Office, and that Ortiz's behaviour was directed at debunking the hoax. The Supreme Court has partially acknowledged that Ortiz did not reveal any new secret that was not already revealed, but maintained the charges to investigate
10212-428: The Spanish real estate bubble. April 14, 2008, Chacón was named minister of Defence. She became the first female minister of Defence in Spain, which, together with the fact that she was seven months pregnant at the time, was considered a significant development by the press. Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba temporarily took over the defense portfolio when Chacón gave birth. Shortly after she chose to live in
10350-483: The Sánchez and López campaigns commented that they would only focus their efforts at collecting the required 5% of member signatures to run. Sánchez, nonetheless, spoke against the organization of the primary process—which he saw as built around Díaz's figure and against his campaign—and warned that "no matter the hindrances and favoritisms, there shall be no wall stopping the force of the Socialist militancy". Díaz's campaign
10488-534: The US government, the Spanish cabinet agreed with the NATO allies the gradual withdrawal of these troops. In the same year, with the growth of piracy in Somali waters, Carme had to deal with the capture of Alakrana, a Basque trawler. A year after, she justified the delivery of new troops to Afghanistan as she proclaimed there was light at the end of the tunnel. Months later, she travelled to Haiti to decorate dead Spanish soldiers on
10626-601: The biggest budget in the country's history – in 2021, after he had won the support of the Catalan pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia . Following the fall of Kabul and the subsequent de facto creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan , the Prime Minister offered Spain as a hub for Afghans who collaborated with the European Union, who would later be settled in various countries. The Spanish Government created
10764-682: The cabinet led by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero . A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) from 1994, she was elected member of the Parliament of Catalonia and vice president of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, the lower house in the Spanish Parliament. In 2007, she entered the cabinet led by Spanish Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero as minister of Housing. A year later, she became
10902-456: The candidate's colour. In the instance of a tie, the figures with the highest percentages are shaded. Polls show data gathered among PSOE voters/supporters as well as Spanish voters as a whole, but not among party members, who are the ones ultimately entitled to vote in the primary election. Pedro S%C3%A1nchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ˈsantʃeθ ˈpeɾeθ kasteˈxon] ; born 29 February 1972)
11040-433: The caretaker committee for allowing the investiture of Rajoy, on Sunday, 21 May 2017, Sánchez was re-elected Secretary-General by the party membership, taking 50.2% of the vote, and defeating his rival Susana Díaz, who took 39.94%, as well as Patxi López , who won 9.85%; his position was affirmed at a PSOE executive meeting on 17 June, and the following day he was confirmed as Leader of the Opposition, despite no longer holding
11178-399: The commitment of embezzlement, arguing that some of the accusations were due to a "calculation error", and that it could not establish the origin of the initiative for the creation of the public office. The post was created in October 2016, at a time when Pedro Sánchez had been expelled by his own party as leader following the 2016 PSOE crisis . The judge has charged David Sánchez because
11316-403: The confidence of former Socialist voters disenchanted by the measures taken by Zapatero during his term as prime minister amid an economic crisis. He also opposed the grand coalition model supported by the former PSOE Prime Minister Felipe González , who lobbied in favour of adopting a more German system to prevent political instability, by instructing his European party caucus not to support
11454-416: The congress to be held as early as March or April 2016, whereas Sánchez sought to have it held in June. A compromise solution was reached in order to avoid a major clash between both sides, with the congress being scheduled for 21 and 22 May and a primary election to be held on 8 May. Government formation talks nationwide broke down after Sánchez's failed investiture attempt in early March 2016. On 28 March,
11592-563: The consensus candidate Jean-Claude Juncker of the European People's Party for the role of President of the European Commission . Upon taking office as PSOE's Secretary-General, Sánchez quickly faced a political crisis following the formation of a new left-wing party, Podemos . Polling approximated that 25% of PSOE supporters would switch their support to Podemos. Sánchez responded by pushing his proposed federal model to replace
11730-466: The devolution model, and calling for the further secularisation of Spain's education system, including the removal of religious-affiliated public and private schools. He later named César Luena as his deputy leader. On Sunday, 21 June 2015, Sánchez was officially announced as the PSOE candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election . At the election on 20 December, the PSOE won 90 seats, ahead of Podemos who won 69 seats, but coming second to
11868-493: The different PSOE regional federations to ready up the party's "machinery" under her control for collecting endorsements once the race would formally start. López's announcement, which was said to initially catch Díaz unprepared, did not alter her plans and, like Sánchez, she remained silent on her intentions to run, aware that her bid for the highest party office would rush a succession race within her party in Andalusia. Some suggested Díaz would try to combine her role as President of
12006-572: The discussion—which, he explained, took place at an informal meeting—had been brought out of context, with close aides blaming Sánchez's supporters for the leak. Susana Díaz, visibly upset, claimed that she did not agree with "that kind of assessments, wherever they come from" and that she had been "working for months to recover the respect and fraternity between party colleagues". She, however, did not think that Heredia had to resign. The sudden death of former Minister of Defence and party colleague Carme Chacón on 9 April prompted all three candidates for
12144-492: The election, the PP gained 48 seats, finishing first, but the PSOE gained one seat, and Vox lost over one third of its seats; this meant that PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo was not able to form a government. After the Congress of Deputies formally rejected Feijóo's bid to be invested in September 2023, King Felipe VI appointed Sánchez to form a government. After obtaining the support of the left-wing Sumar alliance, as well as
12282-402: The endorsement collection that she gave "a huge value to them [the endorsements]", and that she "greatly respected an endorsement, because when you endorse a person you give your word, you commit yourself and you are able, from that time, to represent that person". Members of her campaign commented that she intended to stage a power demonstration by delivering a huge amount of endorsements, whereas
12420-420: The endorsements of at least 5% of party members. Poll results are listed in the tables below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first, and using the date the survey's fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. If such date is unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed in bold, and the background shaded in
12558-687: The enemies of Europe are "inside of the European Union". During his second government , he continued strengthening the pro-European profile of his ministers, including by appointing José Luis Escrivá , the Chair of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility and former chair of the EU Independent Fiscal Institutions Network , as his Minister for Social Security. In June 2020, the Sánchez Government proposed Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nadia Calviño to be
12696-405: The ensuing weeks, Díaz would receive public acclaim from regional Presidents Javier Lambán of Aragon —who publicly endorsed her and went as far as to assure that Díaz was "protected by the gods of Socialism"—and Guillermo Fernández Vara of Extremadura —who commented on her that "she's like a cannon communicating; she sounds like a winner"—. Close aides to Díaz revealed that she preferred to face
12834-579: The first woman to take charge of the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Chacón was born in Esplugues de Llobregat in Catalonia , in the region of Baix Llobregat . She held a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Barcelona , and conducted her postgraduate studies at Osgoode Hall Law School , Kingston University and Laval University . Besides this, she worked as a lecturer of constitutional law at
12972-508: The former party leader were Balearic President Francina Armengol—the only PSOE regional premier not aligned to Susana Díaz—as well as the party's regional branches in Madrid , the Basque Country , Navarre , Castile and León and La Rioja. Even the PSC, formerly staunch defenders of Sánchez before his deposition, now claimed "neutrality" by virtue of Iceta's agreement with Díaz. Pedro Sánchez, who
13110-473: The independence of Kosovo . In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic , on 13 March 2020, Sánchez announced a declaration of a national state of alarm , for only the second time in Spain's democratic history, and the first time for such a period. The Cabinet agreed a nationwide lockdown , banning all trips that were not force majeure, and announced it may intervene in companies to guarantee supplies. In July 2021,
13248-668: The judge summoned Pedro Sánchez to testify as a witness, but he exercised his right not to testify as the husband of the person under investigation. Vox denounced Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Justice for using the State Attorney's Office against the judge investigating his wife; as of November 2024, the Supreme Court accumulated the complaints of Vox, Hazte Oir and Iustitia Europa against Sánchez and her wife before deciding whether to investigate them or not. Another investigation
13386-494: The largest and most populous region in Spain . Soon, she was publicly acclaimed by party colleagues who considered she had the skills, charisma and political appeal needed for leading the PSOE, and they quickly rallied behind her as a potential contender for the role of Secretary General after Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba 's announced resignation—as a consequence of the PSOE electoral setback in the 2014 European Parliament election —ushered in
13524-407: The later, as they accused Sánchez of not respecting laws on the financing of political parties. The caretaker committee perceived that donations to candidates for an internal party process were also subject to the same legal regulations applied to parties, and that any resulting responsibilities derived from a lack of control of such payments could result in the party bearing ultimate responsibility. As
13662-514: The leadership contest to be held earlier, the proposed timetable was reluctantly accepted by critics with little opposition as Fernández and Díaz's faction commanded a comfortable majority among federal committee members. The next day, Patxi López unexpectedly became the first to publicly announce his candidacy to the party's leadership, stating that the party's abstention in Rajoy's investiture had been "an error" and claiming to "feel strong enough to rebuild
13800-562: The meetings of the EU defence ministers while Spain held the European Union's six-month rotating presidency . During this time, she led the negotiations with EADS about €3.5 billion ($ 4.7 billion) extra funding for the Airbus A400M Atlas military transport. In 2011, the Congreso de los Diputados, the lower house in the Spanish Parliament, adopted a law for the rights and duties of the soldiers (also known as Chacon law ). This law allows
13938-443: The mid-1970s, and former Prime Ministers had become known for struggling with them as a result. [REDACTED] Media related to Pedro Sánchez at Wikimedia Commons Carme Chac%C3%B3n Carme Maria Chacón Piqueras ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾmə tʃəˈkom piˈkeɾəs] ; March 13, 1971 – April 9, 2017) was a Spanish lawyer, lecturer and politician who was minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 in
14076-497: The new PSOE leader in pectore as the Fernández-led caretaker team came to be seen as a mere puppet body under her control. As Díaz extended her influence throughout the party's structure, she sought party adhesions to its figure and visibility as the PSOE's organic and institutional reference by meeting Socialists' Party of Catalonia leader Miquel Iceta —securing the PSC neutrality for the incoming leadership contest in exchange of
14214-612: The next Chair of the Eurogroup . In September 2018, Defence Minister Margarita Robles cancelled sales of laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia over concerns relating to the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen . Overruling Robles, Sánchez ordered the sale to proceed, allegedly due to a promise made to Susana Díaz to help protect jobs in the shipyards of the Bay of Cádiz , highly dependent on
14352-516: The parliamentary group—explicitly referring to Margarita Robles as a "motherfucker"—. Heredia also called for the Socialists' Party of Catalonia 's "dissolution"—the PSOE–PSC relations had remained strained in the months following the 2016 PSOE crisis —and justified the party coup against Sánchez in an undisclosed—and officially unconfirmed—government agreement between Sánchez, Unidos Podemos and Republican Left of Catalonia in late September 2016, which
14490-454: The party as a full-fledged executive, when it should be limited—as per party statutes—to organizing the congress. Meanwhile, party members critical of the new PSOE leadership, under the Recupera PSOE platform ( Spanish for "Recover [the] PSOE"), opened an unauthorized party office just 500 meters away from the main PSOE headquarters in Madrid to promote affiliation of new members to vote in
14628-447: The party had allegedly learned from CCOO General Secretary Ignacio Fernández Toxo . Toxo immediately denied these claims—claiming to have never heard of such an agreement happening—and urged Heredia to either reveal who his alleged sources within CCOO were or to resign right away, whereas pro-Sánchez deputies demanded his outright resignation. Heredia apologized for his remarks and argued that
14766-404: The party into the general election and whose leadership had been widely questioned for some time by the critical faction led by Susana Díaz, announced he would run for re-election as party leader in the party federal congress initially scheduled for early 2016. Díaz, unlike 2014, was now allegedly determined to become new party leader herself by battling Sánchez in the incoming contest, intending for
14904-403: The party". After weeks of waiting for Sánchez's final decision and of debating on whether it was advisable for the late Secretary General to return to office, many of his previous supporters switched sides and aligned with López, appealed by his 'third way' project, while calling for Sánchez to join them in an effort to prevent splitting the anti-Díaz vote. Among those withdrawing their support from
15042-431: The party's abstention in such a vote, thus ensuring Rajoy's re-election as Prime Minister of Spain despite the party's previous stance not to allow a new PP government. A few hours ahead of the scheduled second ballot that would allow Rajoy's investiture, Pedro Sánchez announced his resignation as an MP—a decision advised by his close aides—arguing that he could neither abstain—and thus break his electoral pledge of opposing
15180-587: The party's grassroots throughout November and December 2016. The first, held in Xirivella in the Valencian Community on 26 November, was an attendance success with more than a thousand assistants. This feat was repeated in another appearance in El Entrego , Asturias , on 10 December. In both events, Sánchez called for the party congress to be held immediately and accused Fernández's caretaker committee of leading
15318-404: The party—such as Rubalcaba and Carme Chacón , Felipe González and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , or even Eduardo Madina and Díaz herself; as well as six out of the seven PSOE regional presidents—to abandon their feuds, attracting them to her sphere and uniting them against her former protégé . The 2015 general election had seen the PSOE obtaining its worst results in a general election since
15456-472: The primary election as the sole candidate in order to win unopposed, but the faction critical of the new leadership soon assured they would field a candidate of their own regardless of Díaz's intentions, and all sides soon acknowledged that the race would be competitive. Some called for Pedro Sánchez—who had hinted at such a possibility but had never officially confirmed it—to run again for leadership, but there were those who regarded both Díaz and Sánchez unfit for
15594-530: The primary election, to which the caretaker committee replied by announcing legal actions for improper use and usurpation of the party's symbology. On 14 January 2017, party leaders in federal committee formally set the congress' date for 17 and 18 June with a primary election scheduled for May, the preferred choice of both Javier Fernández and Susana Díaz who had called for postponing the congress' date to "just before summer [2017]" in hopes of Sánchez's support eroding over time. Despite previous calls from critics for
15732-578: The proceedings have stated that Begoña Gómez met with businessmen at the Palace of Moncloa . Pedro Sánchez was said to be also present at two of these meetings, but no other details were offered other than his presence in one of them being a brief "greeting" and another one being in the context of a round of meetings with innovation businessmen. The European Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against Begoña Gómez for alleged influence peddling in European funds. The Complutense University issued
15870-559: The promise to avoid a split between both parties—and planning a tour to the European Parliament as part of the greater national and international scope of her political agenda. She also staged a party rally in Jaén on 16 December, in which she was granted the public and unconditional support of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero —long turned into an admirer of the Andalusian President and an opponent to Pedro Sánchez . In
16008-524: The race, attention focused on Díaz as she refused to publicly disclose her intentions. A party event on 11 February, allegedly intended as a vindication of the party's municipalism in Spain, became an improvised rally in support of Díaz, who had been invited by the event's organizer, Mayor of Vigo Abel Caballero . During the event, attended by 2,500 party officers and supporters, Díaz strongly hinted at her candidacy by claiming that she had "strength, hope, excitement" and "loved winning", while also pointing that
16146-468: The race. The general election was held early in November 2011 , in which Zapatero's government was defeated by the People's Party . She left her post and was replaced by new defence minister, Pedro Morenés . In January 2012 she announced her intention to opt for the general secretary of PSOE. According to Chacón, her goal was to "lead a new project" and "raise" the party. However, during the celebration of
16284-533: The regional PSOE premiers, who had already rallied around her throughout the previous months. Concurrently, Pedro Sánchez increased his campaign agenda in Andalusia—which accounted for about a quarter of the party's membership—aware that Díaz's influence in the region and her expected strong primary showing there could dwarf his support in other communities. As Díaz made her bid official, Sánchez proclaimed that there were only "two choices" for party members ahead of
16422-403: The representative of "the true PSOE"—vindicating the party's legacy and the much criticized Socialist governments under Felipe González (1982–96) and Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–11)—, Sánchez was heavily critical of the party's direction ever since his resignation, calling himself "the candidate of the grassroots" and demanding a PSOE that was "autonomous, left-wing and credible". Their personal grudge
16560-464: The resignation of half of the party's executive committee on 28 September in order to trigger Sánchez's downfall. Sánchez did not acknowledge his ouster and sought to keep his promise of an autumn congress, resulting in the party being openly split into two opposing factions, as critics no longer recognized Sánchez's legitimacy to act as secretary general. In a troubled federal committee held on 1 October, Sánchez finally resigned as party leader after losing
16698-539: The role—arguing that their long-lasting grudge for power had deeply divided the party and that none of them would be able to fully re-unite it again—. Proponents of this alternative, 'third' way, considered former President of the Congress of Deputies Patxi López as a potential frontrunner. Support for a potential Patxi López's bid grew among Sánchez's loyalists as time passed and the former PSOE leader remained ambiguous on his intentions. Concurrently and without revealing his future plans, Sánchez staged several events with
16836-403: The sentence, and denied the possibility of any pardon, proclaiming that the sentence should be served by the convicts in its entirety. Sánchez would, however, eventually grant a partial pardon to most convicts in 2021, stressing that despite the pardon there would never be a referendum for the independence of Catalonia, with then Spokesperson María Jesús Montero that "We will not renounce, as
16974-456: The soldiers to have an associative activity and creates a committee or Junta de Personal acting as a link between the Ministry and the troops. After Zapatero announced he was not going to run in the 2012 elections , Chacón was expected to run for her party's leadership during autumn 2011. However, after the failure of the PSOE in 2011 local elections , she announced that she was withdrawing from
17112-639: The specific leak of the e-mails. The European Union has warned the government of Spain that it has to end its attacks on the judiciary. On 3 November 2024, Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Valencian president Carlos Mazón were violently confronted during a meeting with people affected by the October 2024 Spain floods in Paiporta in the Valencian Community , who threw mud and objects at them and injured two bodyguards. In 2014, Sánchez ran to be PSOE Secretary-General under what has been described as
17250-520: The upcoming leadership election. 15 PSOE MPs broke party discipline in response, by refusing to abstain in the investiture vote and voting against Rajoy, yet as Rajoy only needed an abstention from 11 PSOE MPs out of 84, he easily won the vote to be invested as prime minister. After resigning as Secretary-General and from the Congress, Sánchez began a national tour, driving his own car around to visit party members throughout different parts of Spain. After an energetic campaign, during which he criticised
17388-499: The use of the military bases of Rota and Morón to temporarily accommodate Afghan refugees, while praising "Spain's leadership in seeking international support for Afghan women and girls". Sánchez condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and expressed Spain's full support for Ukraine. In August 2022, during his state visit to Serbia as part of his overall visits to Balkan countries, Sánchez reaffirmed Spain's non-recognition of
17526-415: The vote on the congress timetable. A single debate was also proposed to be held between the candidates meeting the eligibility requirements, with the PSOE not closing the door to additional debates if candidates so agreed. With the date for the primary election finally fixed, candidates re-directed their efforts at ensuring enough endorsements to be able to participate in the contest. Susana Díaz commented on
17664-450: The €1.813 billion contract with Saudi Arabia to deliver five corvettes . In response to the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, Sánchez defended the decision to continue arms sales to Saudi Arabia and insisted on his government's "responsibility" to protect jobs in the arms industry . Under Sánchez's premiership, the Congress approved a total central government budget of 196 billion euros –
17802-467: Was accused by the ABC newspaper of plagiarism in his doctorate. Refuting the allegations, Sánchez published his full thesis online. However, these allegations have been disputed by Markus Goldbach, CEO of Plagscan, a plagiarism checker software previously presented as evidence. In January 2013, Sánchez returned to Congress representing Madrid, replacing Cristina Narbona , who resigned to accept appointment at
17940-423: Was an opportunistic maneuver aimed at thwarting Sánchez's potential bid and negotiating a future power sharing with Díaz, despite López's calls that he was willing to "go to the end" in the fight for PSOE's control. Sánchez found himself stranded from most of his previous collaborators and could no longer count with the party apparatus of the anti-Díaz regional federations to back him, facing the challenge of making up
18078-595: Was approved almost unanimously by the federal committee but was met with the opposition of a handful of Sánchez's supporters, who clashed with the party leadership on the proposed timetable for the communication of membership census—complaining that it might hamper the candidates' collection of endorsements—as well as on the statutory modification proposals which, they claimed, were not delivered to them with enough time in advance. The managing committee rejected these claims and replied that "this has been always done like this", with six Sánchez's supporters ultimately abstaining from
18216-484: Was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies for Madrid to replace the retiring Pedro Solbes , who has served as Finance Minister under PSOE Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero . However, his first period in the Congress would be short, as at the 2011 general election , the PSOE suffered a large defeat and only elected 10 deputies for Madrid; with Sánchez 11th on the proportional list, he lost his seat in
18354-564: Was held on 21 May 2017, after being confirmed in a federal committee on 1 April. The leadership race was the first to be held after the party's electoral setbacks in both the 2015 and 2016 general elections in which the party scored its two worst electoral records since the Spanish transition to democracy . An extraordinary party congress had been held in July 2014 after Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba 's resignation, in which Pedro Sánchez had been elected as new party leader. However, no ordinary congress had been held since 2012 . Former President of
18492-497: Was later named minister of Housing after María Antonia Trujillo , before becoming minister of Defence in April 2008. Her parliamentary career started after the general elections of 2000 when she won a seat for the province of Barcelona and went on to be elected as such in different legislations. Whilst José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's term, Carme replaced María Antonia Trujillo as minister of Housing. When already in charge, she had to face
18630-681: Was opened in the court of Badajoz against Pedro Sánchez's brother, David Sánchez, for the crimes of embezzlement , influence peddling , prevarication , crimes against the Public Treasury and crimes against the Public Administration; crimes for which David Sánchez has been charged and has been called to testify on 9 January 2025. A report issued by the Central Operating Unit of the Civil Guard in November 2024 determined that no evidence could be found that linked David Sánchez to
18768-501: Was said to be privately upset by López's move—both had been close allies during his time as Secretary General—, revealed on 18 January he would be meeting party members throughout Spain without clarifying whether he would withdraw from the race or not. Moreover, sources from within his team hinted that he had allegedly already chosen to run, but that he would not make the decision public until it better suited him, instead focusing in warming up his potential candidacy with events widely seen as
18906-616: Was shaken in early April by two events: on the one hand, Estela Goikoetxea, curtain raiser in Díaz's 26 March rally, resigned as Director of the Public Health Observatory of Cantabria only three days later after it transpired that she had lied on her curriculum vitae , by assuring she was a graduate in Biotechnology for the University of León despite not actually having finished her studies—with this event also incidentally leading to
19044-477: Was so intense that PSOE leaders tried to reduce the campaign tone and cast off fears that the losing side in the primaries might not acknowledge the outcome and split from the party. Meanwhile, Patxi López presented himself as "the candidate of integration" and the only one able to unite all sides after the primaries—aware that the Díaz–Sánchez polarization was harmful to his campaign—, calling for "unity" to "recover
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