Pedro Sánchez: Spain's PM goes silent amid Fantavirus crisis

Pedro Sánchez: the silence that baffles everyone during the Bicho crisis

As the country goes through a new episode of health alarmism dubbed the 'Bicho', one question echoes through Spain's political corridors: where is Pedro Sánchez? He has gone days without appearing, without making statements, without any public presence. The prime minister has delegated the entire spotlight to his ministers and to a staging that some interpret as a smokescreen.

The most widespread conspiracy theory holds that the Bicho —an illness with hardly any verified data— has become the perfect excuse for Sánchez to erase himself from the media map. To hide what? His inner circle leaks that he is focused on high-level international politics and philanthropy, but the silence only feeds suspicion.

The phantom prime minister: strategy or flight?

Official explanations are conspicuously absent. While the government deploys a massive communication operation around the Bicho, Sánchez has cut his public schedule to a minimum. A single awards ceremony for a pro-Palestinian organisation at La Moncloa (the prime minister's official residence) has been his only appearance. For everything else, he has sent his 'lackeys', as some analysts call his trusted ministers.

The move, carefully calibrated, can be read two ways. If the crisis fizzles out, Sánchez can claim credit for skilful management, pointing at the 'far right' for having wished for the worst. If the illness worsens, he will have stayed clear of the political wear and tear, letting others burn in the spotlight.

The political background to a calculated silence

Sánchez's low profile is nothing new, but in the middle of a health emergency —however dubious its real weight— it takes on a different tone. Some describe him as 'hiding like a rat' or 'holed up and in love with himself'. Jokes aside, the truth is that his absence fuels doubts about whether the Bicho is really the reason or just an excuse to avoid facing the public.

Meanwhile, the opposition and part of the press argue that the prime minister should explain himself. But Sánchez stays silent. And in politics, that silence is usually more eloquent than any speech.

On this basis, the debate over whether the Bicho is real or a smokescreen will remain open. Perhaps the answer to 'where is Sánchez' does not matter: what matters is what he is not saying.