Spanish opposition groups march in Madrid to demand snap elections and Pedro Sánchez trial

Mobilization in central Madrid

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on Saturday, 26 September, to begin a protest march toward the Arco de la Victoria near the Moncloa Palace. The event, organized as the Second March for Dignity, was called by the civic network Sociedad Civil Española with official backing and attendance from the People's Party and Vox. Protesters displayed Spanish flags and carried slogans opposing the central administration, focusing on governance and border policy in North Africa. The route took demonstrators across the capital before concluding close to the official residence of the head of government.

Demands and political backing

The organizers published a manifesto calling for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and set an ultimatum for general elections to be called before 15 November 2026. The platform declared that if elections are not scheduled by that date, peaceful citizen pressure will escalate to a level capable of disrupting voting. In addition to snap elections, the protest platform demanded the militarization of Ceuta and Melilla following recent migration developments in the autonomous cities.

“We Spaniards must react, passivity is not an option, either we defend ourselves or we will perish.”

Vox leader Santiago Abascal attended the march and criticized the executive branch's handling of the migration crisis in Ceuta. Abascal also criticized the People's Party for declining to support formal legal proceedings against Sánchez for treason. The People's Party, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, supported the event and confirmed participation, focusing its message on political opposition and the call for early national elections.

Constitutional mechanism and platform background

Sociedad Civil Española advocates invoking Article 102 of the Spanish Constitution to prosecute Sánchez for alleged treason and offenses against state security. Under constitutional rules, such an initiative requires the backing of one quarter of the members of the Congress of Deputies and must be approved by an absolute majority, a threshold that would require the votes of Junts alongside the combined seats of the People's Party and Vox.

The network behind the protest

Sociedad Civil Española presents itself as an independent coalition bringing together between 100 and 200 civic associations, though it maintains no formal organizational hierarchy. Figures associated with its constituent groups include former Ciudadanos deputy Marcos de Quinto and Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a co-founder of Vox and former regional leader of the People's Party in Catalonia. Carlos de Palma, a retired military officer serving on the coordinating committee, explained the coalition's focus on broad opposition to Sánchez.

“Calling for elections unites us in feeling above right, left, and center. We are plural, above all sensibilities. In general, one of our rules is not to get involved with any party, but with Pedro Sánchez we do, because he has destroyed his party.”

The platform functions as a successor to the Plataforma por la España Constitucional, which held a similar demonstration in Madrid in May 2025 demanding Sánchez's resignation and immediate elections. The current mobilization follows a 2 September gathering at Plaza de Cibeles, where around 50,000 people protested over the migration situation in Ceuta.