Sánchez says only his party can end corruption, but his circle is under investigation

Sánchez defends his anti-corruption record while those around him face charges

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently claimed that his party is the only one capable of eradicating corruption if any embers remain. "We must keep going; if there are embers of corruption, we are the only ones who can put an end to it," he declared. The remark, met with irony on social media and political forums, comes at a time when several people close to him are under judicial investigation.

The PM and his circle under scrutiny

The irony of the statement has not gone unnoticed: while Sánchez positions himself as a champion against corruption, members of his family have accumulated incivil charges. According to judicial sources, several relatives of the Prime Minister are under investigation for various offences. On top of this, his right-hand man, a close collaborator, is being held in pre-trial detention. "He has his entire family charged and his right-hand man in jail, yet he talks about how only they can end corruption," critics summarise.

The shadow of the great replacement theory

Some quarters go further and accuse the government of carrying out a "great replacement" by granting citizenship to immigrants in order to secure voters. Although this theory has no empirical support, it has taken hold among Sánchez's detractors. "He has used votes to build a incivil mafia that keeps him in power," the argument goes. The accusation, an extreme one, reflects the existing polarisation.

An uncertain judicial future

With several legal fronts open and the opposition attacking the Prime Minister's management, the promise to end corruption rings hollow to many. The question hanging in the air is whether the courts will rein in the drift or whether the Prime Minister will manage to dodge the charges. For now, the official narrative clashes head-on with the judicial facts.