Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday pledged ‘not to throw in the towel’, despite a damaging corruption scandal engulfing his socialist PSOE party.
Rather than stepping down, he unveiled an anti-corruption initiative developed with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), aiming to restore trust in his embattled administration.
The controversy has shaken Sánchez’s minority coalition with the left-wing Sumar group, following the implication of two prominent former PSOE figures – both once close allies of the prime minister – in a corruption investigation. ALSO READ: Sánchez battles to control PSOE crisis, as claims of sexual harassment force a new resignation.
‘I will not throw in the towel and we will continue,’ Sánchez said in a parliamentary session on Wednesday, admitting that he had contemplated resignation over the involvement of the two ex-party heavyweights.
‘Because I’m a clean politician,’ he said. ‘Because I aspire to regain the trust of the majority of this chamber, and because this political project goes far beyond me and is not yet complete.’
The situation is particularly precarious for Sánchez, whose rise to power in 2018 was rooted in promises to cleanse Spanish politics of corruption, following a landmark conviction against the right-wing People’s Party (PP) for a major graft case.
Addressing MPs, Sánchez introduced a 15-point reform agenda prepared in collaboration with the OECD’s public integrity and anti-corruption division, headquartered in Paris.
Among the proposed measures is the establishment of an autonomous public integrity agency tasked with preventing, monitoring and prosecuting corruption. Sánchez criticised existing structures for having ‘generated inefficiencies and vacuums of coordination’.
The plan also calls for the use of artificial intelligence to enhance data analysis and detect ‘vulnerabilities’ in public procurement, a key area of concern after the prime minister’s former confidants were accused of receiving illicit payments related to government contracts.
Under the new framework, senior officials would be subject to ‘random and annual wealth checks’ throughout their tenure. Furthermore, any political party or foundation receiving more than €50,000 in public funds would be legally required to undergo external audits.
The reforms also promise stronger protections for whistle-blowers, the creation of specialised anti-corruption court sections, and tougher penalties in the criminal code for crimes against public administration, Sánchez said.
The crisis deepened last month when a high-profile police report linked former transport minister José Luis Ábalos and ex-PSOE organisation secretary Santos Cerdán – both instrumental in Sánchez’s political ascent – to the scandal. ALSO READ: Judge orders pre-trial detention for PSOE’s former organisation secretary.
Sánchez reiterated that he had considered stepping down, offered an apology, but ultimately rejected calls for early elections, reaffirming his decision ‘not to throw in the towel’. ALSO READ: Spanish PM apologises, after senior politician resigns due to alleged link to corruption probe.
Following the report’s release, Cerdán resigned both as the organisation secretary and as a member of parliament. Ábalos, meanwhile, was expelled from the party. ALSO READ: Former Spanish transport minister denies corruption allegations in court.
Faced with growing pressure, especially from Sumar and the Catalan and Basque parties that support his coalition, Sánchez responded with the anti-graft plan they had demanded in exchange for continued backing.
He described the reform package as ‘the biggest boost’ to anti-corruption efforts in Spain ‘in recent decades’.
However, opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the PP dismissed both the prime minister’s explanation and the proposed reforms, accusing the PSOE of acting ‘like a criminal organisation’ for years. ALSO READ: ‘Mafia or Democracy’ – tens of thousands join PP’s 6th anti-government rally in Madrid.
‘We don’t know where your direct responsibility begins and where it ends … How will you get us out of this nightmare if you got us into it?’ said Feijóo, reiterating his call for new elections.
Meanwhile, additional investigations targeting Sánchez’s wife, brother and the socialist-appointed attorney general continue to escalate pressure on one of the European Union’s longest-serving left-leaning leaders. ALSO READ: Brother of Spanish prime minister to face trial for alleged influence peddling.
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El presidente @sanchezcastejon ha anunciado en el @Congreso_Es un Plan Estatal de Lucha Contra la Corrupción.
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) July 9, 2025
Un total de 15 medidas para dar un impulso a la prevención y lucha contra la corrupción en nuestro país.
Consúltalo👇🏼https://t.co/Qu6liCyrDp pic.twitter.com/NDSJHsIvNu
No voy a tirar la toalla.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 9, 2025
Voy a continuar.
Porque yo soy un político limpio, porque aspiro a recuperar la confianza de la mayoría de esta cámara y porque este proyecto político va mucho más allá de mi persona y aún no está culminado. pic.twitter.com/7q7LALnvpz
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