Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Madrid on Sunday for a protest organised by the main opposition party, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration of corruption.
Crowds filled the Plaza de España – one of the capital’s central squares – waving red and yellow national flags and chanting slogans including, ‘Pedro Sánchez, resign!’
The right-wing People’s Party (PP) spearheaded the rally following the emergence of leaked audio recordings that allegedly implicated Leire Díez, a former member of the ruling socialist (PSOE) party, in a campaign to discredit a police unit investigating corruption claims involving Sánchez’s wife, brother, and former chief of staff. ALSO READ: Smear campaigns & ‘mafia practices’ – the alleged corruption saga against Spain’s PM rolls on.
Díez has rejected the accusations, saying in a statement on Wednesday that she was working independently on research for a book and not acting on behalf of Sánchez or the PSOE. She has since stepped down from her role within the party.
PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has fiercely criticised the government, accusing it of engaging in ‘mafia practices’ and asserting that Sánchez was ‘at the centre’ of several corruption controversies. ALSO READ: Brother of Spanish prime minister to face trial for alleged influence peddling.
‘This government has stained everything — politics, state institutions, the separation of powers,’ Feijóo said at the event, urging Sánchez to call early elections.
According to PP estimates, the demonstration drew over 100,000 participants and was held under the banner ‘Mafia or Democracy’. In contrast, the central government’s delegate in Madrid estimated attendance at between 45,000 and 50,000.
Pilar Alegría, the government spokesperson, ridiculed the crowd size on social media platform X (see below), noting that Spanish rock group Estopa attracted a larger audience to their recent show at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium than ‘the apocalyptic Feijóo at the Plaza de España’.
Sánchez has described the investigations targeting his wife, brother and associates as part of a politically motivated ‘smear campaign’ orchestrated by the right to weaken his administration.
He rose to power in June 2018 after leading a successful no-confidence vote that ousted former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the PP amid a corruption scandal tied to the right-wing party.
Sunday’s event marked the sixth protest the PP has staged against Sánchez’s government since Feijóo assumed party leadership in April 2022.
The demonstration comes as the PP prepares for an extraordinary party congress, now scheduled for July. Originally planned for 2026, the date was moved forward by Feijóo, who said the party needed to ‘be prepared’ in case snap elections are called – an effort widely seen as a move to strengthen his position within the party.
The rally was also attended by former prime ministers Rajoy and José María Aznar, as well as several regional government leaders (main image), including Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the PP president of the Madrid regional government. ALSO READ: Madrid’s regional leader walks out of presidents’ conference when Catalan and Basque spoken.
Polls currently show the PP holding a narrow lead over the ruling socialists, though Sánchez remains the most favoured political figure among voters.
According to a survey published on Monday by El País, 24.6% of respondents said Sánchez was their preferred leader to run the country. He was followed by far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal at 17.1%, with Feijóo ranking third at 16.6%.
Spain’s next national election is slated for 2027.
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Señor Sánchez, ríndase a la democracia. pic.twitter.com/hmtfQTAXls
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) June 8, 2025
En Madrid nadie es “foraster”, “forasteiro”, “mesetario”, “godo”, “charnego” o “maqueto”.
Basta de arrinconar, perseguir y despreciar a los españoles en España.
Por una democracia liberal con los mejores en cada institución. Por la verdad y la libertad. pic.twitter.com/dto01HVbLa
— Isabel Díaz Ayuso (@IdiazAyuso) June 8, 2025
Estopa mete más gente en el Metropolitano de Madrid que el apocalíptico Feijóo en la Plaza de España pic.twitter.com/zhjYuQ7qBX
— Pilar Alegría (@Pilar_Alegria) June 8, 2025
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