A senior figure in Spain’s Socialist Party resigned Thursday after being named in a corruption probe linked to pandemic-era contracts—deepening a crisis that has already engulfed Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s inner circle.
Santos Cerdán, the party’s third-ranking official and head of organisation, stepped down after a judicial report implicated him in alleged collusion over a public contract alongside former Transport Minister José Luís Abalos and ex-adviser Koldo García. Police evidence points to possible financial gain. Cerdán denies wrongdoing but will testify before the Supreme Court later this month.
The scandal is part of a growing web of investigations surrounding Sánchez’s associates—including separate cases involving his wife and brother. Sánchez has dismissed the probes as politically motivated, but critics accuse him of deflecting responsibility.
Even former allies are becoming liabilities. Abalos, expelled from the party but still in parliament, faces charges of corruption, embezzlement, and influence peddling. His fall mirrors the same accusations that brought down the previous conservative government—raising uncomfortable questions for both major parties.
While opposition figures like the PP’s Cuca Gamarra demand resignations and fresh elections, Sánchez continues to cling on, casting himself as the victim of a right-wing smear campaign.
