González and Page unite against Sánchez, urge elections after Ábalos sentenced to 24 years
Former Prime Minister Felipe González and Castilla-La Mancha President Emiliano García-Page jointly called on Pedro Sánchez to assume political responsibility for the Ábalos corruption sentence, demanding he either resign or call early elections.
Sentencing of former minister Ábalos
The Spanish Supreme Court sentenced former transport minister and PSOE secretary José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for criminal organisation, bribery, embezzlement, and influence peddling, linked to mask procurement during the pandemic. His former advisor Koldo García received 19 years. Businessman Víctor de Aldama, who cooperated with prosecutors, was handed a 4.5-year term commuted to community service.
González and Page demand Sánchez leave office
At a business federation event in Toledo, former prime minister Felipe González and Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page united in their call for Pedro Sánchez to step aside. González declared,
Page added that the cases involve "the founding nucleus" of this Sánchez era and insisted on the right of socialists to demand answers.Sánchez should have already called elections. There are two paths: resigning or calling elections.
Defence of the court's ruling and the whistleblower
González described the unanimous Supreme Court verdict as "well done, correct, and very measured", rejecting accusations of disproportionality. He also backed the leniency shown to Aldama for cooperating with justice, noting,
Page warned against stigmatising confidential informants, urging the government to be cautious.We applauded those who repented and denounced PP corruption; now it seems we react by saying Aldama is not credible.
Echoes of the 2018 no-confidence motion
Both leaders repeatedly equated the current situation to the 2018 no-confidence motion that ousted Mariano Rajoy after the Gürtel corruption sentence.
González insisted the political responsibility is "exactly the same", recalling that Ábalos himself had led that parliamentary offensive against Rajoy.It inspires the same respect in me as the fall of the PP and the no-confidence motion.
Looming PSOE Federal Committee showdown
Page announced he will demand explanations at the PSOE’s Federal Committee on 27 June, asserting his right as a militant to receive answers about the corruption cases. He linked the scandal to both Ábalos and current organisational secretary Santos Cerdán, whom he called the party’s "cimientos" (foundations). González labelled the moment "the greatest degradation of democratic coexistence" and criticised a partisan culture of hatred. Both voices now pile pressure on a prime minister who faces a parliamentary appearance on 24 June.
