Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled a 15-point anti-corruption plan in parliament on Wednesday, promising to put Spain “at the forefront” of European transparency. But the move has been widely dismissed by critics as political theatre, coming amid a deepening corruption crisis involving former ministers, senior Socialist Party operatives—and members of Sánchez’s own family.
The package, drawn up with the OECD, includes the creation of an “Integrity Agency,” new rules for party financing, artificial intelligence tools for monitoring public contracts, and powers to seize assets even before trial. Sánchez insisted he was a “clean politician” and admitted to having placed misguided trust in certain close allies. But he denied any personal wrongdoing.
The opposition remains unconvinced. People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo described the measures as “cosmetic” and accused Sánchez of heading a government that has acted “like a criminal organisation.” He submitted 50 formal questions in parliament, demanding answers about suspected cover-ups, political favours, and the potential misuse of public office by Sánchez’s wife and brother. Feijóo demanded the prime minister “confess what he knows, return the loot, and call elections.”
The corruption scandal centres on what has become known as the “Koldo case,” involving a fraudulent pandemic-era mask procurement scheme linked to former minister José Luis Ábalos and his advisor, Koldo García. Investigations have revealed evidence of bribes, influence peddling, and even attempts to destroy incriminating material. Santos Cerdán, a senior Socialist figure and close ally of Sánchez, is now in pre-trial detention for his role.
But the corruption allegations don’t end there. In 2024, Sánchez was summoned to testify as a witness in a judicial probe into his wife, Begoña Gómez, who is under investigation for allegedly leveraging her political connections and her position at Madrid’s Complutense University to benefit private companies. His brother, David Sánchez, is also facing trial for unexplained assets worth over €1.7 million.
Conservative media have reported claims that Sánchez personally benefited from properties funded by businesses linked to his wife’s family, some of which have been convicted of running illegal prostitution rings.
Santiago Abascal, leader of the populist right-wing party VOX, went further, accusing Sánchez of heading what he called the “Peugeot mafia”—a reference to Sánchez’s inner circle, who once travelled the country in a Peugeot car during his campaign to retake the Socialist leadership. Abascal said Sánchez had “reached power through fraud” and demanded he resign and face prosecution. “We want the entire Peugeot mafia judged—from the last crook to the corrupt, indecent prime minister,” he told parliament.
Judicial associations have also criticised the anti-corruption plan, warning that many of the proposals are either already law or lack teeth. “Without independence, budget, and real will, this is just marketing,” one judicial spokesman warned.
For Sánchez, whose political brand once relied on moral credibility, the growing list of scandals may prove harder to rebrand.
