A new round of political confrontation is unfolding in the Spanish Senate. The leader of the Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has announced his intention to summon Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to appear before the commission investigating the Koldo affair. This decision came during heated debates in Congress, where Feijóo openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the government’s response to corruption scandals linked to the socialists.
Feijóo made it clear that he considers the current prime minister unfit for office and stressed that Sánchez will have to appear in person before the Senate this fall. Until now, the commission, created at the initiative of the opposition, had not summoned Sánchez, fearing that his presence might play to his advantage. However, in light of growing competition from Vox and disappointing polls, the Partido Popular has decided to change its tactics.
In response to Feijóo’s accusations, Sánchez tried to shift the focus to problems in regions governed by the opposition. He reminded deputies of failures in the healthcare system, particularly in Andalusia, and drew attention to the low percentage of abortions performed in public clinics in Madrid. The prime minister also stated that his government defends the interests of ordinary citizens, while, in his view, opponents care only about privileged segments of society.
The discussion quickly escalated into a series of mutual reproaches. Feijóo focused on new details in the Ábalos case, which involve suspicions of bribery and large-denomination cash bills. He expressed confidence that any honest leader would have already demanded answers on these matters within their own party. Sánchez, in turn, referred to the findings of the Guardia Civil, who found no evidence of illegal socialist financing, and advised his opponent to choose his political battles more carefully.
In the end, after a series of accusations and jabs at each other, Sánchez wrapped up with a brief message to Feijóo: “Dale duro, Alberto.” This succinct remark became a fitting conclusion to a tense exchange, which seems to have only heightened anticipation for the upcoming Senate hearings.
The commission investigating the Koldo case was created in February last year, but has yet to shed light on all circumstances of the scandal. Now, with Sánchez expected to provide a personal explanation, the political intrigue surrounding the investigation is entering a new phase. Parliament corridors are already abuzz about how this could shift the balance of power ahead of the next elections and whether the Partido Popular can seize the opportunity to strengthen its position.
The session ended with a series of mutual accusations between representatives of both parties. Socialist ministers tried to associate the opposition with radicals from Vox and recalled the cuts made by previous governments. Meanwhile, People’s Party deputies did not miss the chance to once again highlight corruption scandals involving the socialists and to draw comparisons with the current policies of the Sánchez cabinet.
