Sánchez refuses to resign as Congress grills him over Ábalos corruption case
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez appears before a hostile Congress on Wednesday to address a cascade of corruption cases, including the 24-year prison sentence for former minister José Luis Ábalos, while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demands his resignation and fresh elections.
The Ábalos verdict
On Monday, the Supreme Court sentenced José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, and influence peddling. The "Mascarillas" case involved commissions on pandemic mask contracts that generated €9.5 million in profits for a company. Ábalos was a key figure in Sánchez's government and party, serving as transport minister and PSOE organizational secretary.
Sánchez's defense
Sánchez will tell Congress that his government acted decisively by expelling Ábalos and Santos Cerdán before formal charges were filed. Moncloa sources argue that demanding the prime minister's resignation over one person's misconduct is disproportionate.
The prime minister plans to separate cases he views as political persecution (involving his wife and brother) from genuine corruption, insisting his party cooperated with justice from the first moment.That one person fails you cannot mean that the president is asked to resign. It is not proportionate.
Feijóo's offensive
Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo will use the session to paint Sánchez as the central figure in all the scandals. He will remind the chamber that
and dismiss Sánchez's credibility on anti-corruption. The PP will present two motions demanding elections, with support from Junts and possible backing from other uneasy allies. Feijóo's team insists there is "no firewall" between the prime minister and the corruption cases.stealing is already a crime on the books
Allies' unease
Government partners are increasingly uncomfortable. Some demand concrete reforms to restore public trust, while others openly call for the dissolution of parliament. The accumulation of cases (Zapatero's imputation, the Leire Díez investigation, Begoña Gómez's trial) has eroded confidence, leaving the legislative agenda in limbo.
Counterattack on the PP
Sánchez will contrast his party's swift action with the PP's record, citing the Gürtel scandal and the investigation into Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner. Minister Óscar López stated,
The government aims to frame the PP's attacks as hypocritical, noting that the PP's headquarters were allegedly paid with undeclared funds.He who does it pays, whether his name is Ábalos or Ayuso.
