Spain: Serious corruption and sexual misconduct scandals are casting a shadow over the ruling Socialist Party’s prospects—ahead of early regional elections in Extremadura town, a potentially important political test of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The vote on Sunday, December 21st, was called in the southwestern region after the conservative leadership failed to pass the 2026 budget.
Polls suggest the conservative People’s Party (PP) is set to win the election in Extremadura—population around one million— but once again fall short of a majority, while the Socialist Party faces significant losses, potentially shedding up to nine of the 28 seats it won in 2023. A prominent former local party leader said voters are “making the Socialists pay the price” for the ongoing scandals.
The election comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as former transport minister José Luis Ábalos is due to stand trial this year on corruption charges, while Sánchez’s wife and brother are also under investigation. These cases, along with sexual harassment allegations involving several Socialist officials, have undermined the party’s credibility, particularly among female voters.
The PP’s national leader has said the Extremadura vote could mark “the beginning of the end” for Sánchez, although the right-wing landscape is further complicated by the rise of VOX, which could reshape Spain’s political balance in the longer term.
