The Spanish Socialist president and PSOE leader, Pedro Sánchez, confirmed that he has no intention of bringing forward the general elections, despite the impact caused by the resignation of Santos Cerdán, the party's Organization Secretary.
As a result, the elections will be held in 2027 and his intention is to run again as the Socialist Party's candidate to lead the Executive, despite being involved in the controversy.
During a press conference held at PSOE headquarters, Sánchez expressed his "deep disappointment" over the situation, but was clear in stating that the legislature will continue as normal and there won't be early elections.
Pedro Sánchez y Santos Cerdán.
"This isn't about me or the Socialist Party or the deputies of the Socialist Parliamentary Group exclusively. It's about a political project that's doing good things for our country in the area of democratic renewal, in the area of social transformation, and in the area of economic transformation and the defense of a national model," stated the Socialist leader.
Sánchez reaffirmed his intention to continue as a candidate in 2027 and also ruled out a government crisis, considering that this is an episode that "doesn't directly affect the Executive."
He also revealed that he was the one who demanded Santos Cerdán's resignation after learning the contents of the UCO (Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard) report, which links him to corruption cases. "Although the disappointment is great, the response will always be forceful," concluded the head of Government, even though both he and his wife are under investigation for allegations of serious corruption cases.
Pedro Sánchez y Santos Cerdán.
The new alleged corruption case
The wave of suspicions over alleged acts of corruption shaking the closest circle of the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, continues to spread. On Thursday, an extensive report by the Civil Guard became public, directly implicating the third-ranking figure in PSOE, the party led by the head of the Executive, in the alleged receipt of bribes.
The Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard is conducting an investigation in which Santos Cerdán, who later resigned as PSOE's Organization Secretary, appears to be involved not only in the handling of illegal kickbacks related to public works contracts in various autonomous communities, but also in a possible internal electoral fraud in the 2014 primaries that led Pedro Sánchez to become party secretary general.
The report, which is 490 pages long, includes recordings, audio conversations, and WhatsApp messages, in which Cerdán allegedly played an active role in brokering improper payments totaling at least 620,000 euros.
