Sánchez humiliates Abascal in Congress over Vox adviser's €26,000 salary

Sánchez outmanoeuvres Abascal in the control session: adviser's salary wrecks Vox's strategy

The head-to-head between Pedro Sánchez and Santiago Abascal in the Spanish Congress had a clear winner. The Prime Minister not only forcefully rebuffed the accusations from the Vox leader, but also seized the chance to put on the table the data that embarrass the party: the €26,000 monthly salary paid to one of Abascal's advisers. According to parliamentary sources, the figure exceeds what senior executives at Ibex 35 companies such as Telefónica earn.

The figure that derails Vox's narrative

The exchange, described by observers as a 'humiliation' for Abascal, came after the Vox leader tried to shift attention towards the Government's economic policy. Sánchez hit back by citing the internal investigation into the alleged diversion of party funds to Abascal's own foundation. The purges at the top of Vox, linked to this case, have left the party in a vulnerable position. The adviser's salary, €26,000 a month, has become the symbol of practices that, according to the opposition, contradict Vox's austerity rhetoric.

A clash that cannot hide the internal crisis

The debate, however, should not be read merely as a war of words. Vox's internal fragmentation, with departures and criticism from former members, suggests the party is going through its worst moment since it entered Congress. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister seems to have found in these scandals political ammunition to neutralise attacks from the right. The open question is whether this strategy will have legs or whether, as some analysts point out, the political spectacle will only feed public disillusionment.