Pedro Sánchez has not ruled out pardoning former State Prosecutor General Álvaro García Ortiz before the 29 November election. His promise to halt evictions faces parliamentary resistance, with Junts and PP voting against housing measures while Vox also opposed them.
The 9 October interview left several legal routes under review before Spain’s 29 November election.
According to EFE’s report on Sánchez’s remarks, the prime minister did not rule out pardoning former State Prosecutor General Álvaro García Ortiz. García Ortiz was convicted of revealing reserved data linked to Alberto González Amador, partner of Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Sánchez said the Government was checking which laws and measures could still pass through Parliament’s Permanent Deputation or by executive decree.
The pardon is under consideration, not granted. Sánchez has made no final decision and tied the question to what remains legally and politically feasible. The Supreme Court sentenced García Ortiz to a two-year ban from serving as State Prosecutor General and a fine equivalent to 12 months for disclosing confidential information.
García Ortiz became the first serving State Prosecutor General in Spain to be convicted and removed from office.
A pardon would have narrower effects than cancelling the case. It would not erase the conviction or annul the Supreme Court’s judgment. It could only end or reduce the execution of the penalties.
In June, the Supreme Court sent the Government a negative opinion. The executive had to request it, but the opinion is not binding. The judges said they found no grounds of justice, equality or public benefit and concluded that the conduct seriously damaged the institutional authority of the prosecution service. The prosecution had taken a more limited position, supporting a partial pardon for the ban on holding the post.
The political reaction has been sharply hostile.
PP secretary-general Miguel Tellado said Sánchez could use the pardon to “pay for favours” and prevent García Ortiz from testifying. That is an opposition allegation, not an established fact. It shows why the decision would reach beyond the former prosecutor’s legal status.
Housing is the other major front of the interview. Sánchez argues that the state must intervene in the market to make Article 47 of the Constitution an effective right. He blames part of the access crisis on regional governments led by PP and Vox, along with parliamentary obstruction.
The Supreme Court’s negative opinion does not legally prevent the Government from granting a pardon, but it records the judges’ view that the offence damaged the institutional authority of the prosecution service. The prosecution’s earlier position was less restrictive and supported removing only the ban on holding office.
His clearest promise is that no eviction will take place during the rest of the legislature. The pledge remains political rather than operational. The measures needed to enforce it still depend on executive action and parliamentary support.
Sánchez made the commitment while rejecting what he called the politicisation of the death of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman evicted from her home in Madrid. After four eviction attempts, the case became a national housing-movement campaign and a symbol of the country’s housing crisis. Sánchez says the response must be political and has defended the Government decree designed to protect vulnerable households.
An earlier report described the case as a test of public action after a possible agreement with Urbagestión.
The prime minister also attacked Junts for voting against housing measures after negotiating agreements with the executive. He said he did not understand the rejection and argued that Junts is closer to PP and Vox on housing than to other political forces. His framing was stark: rights or cuts, households or the interests of vulture funds and people who view the market from above.
The defeated package included protection against evictions. It also covered seasonal and room rentals, plus restrictions until 2028 on speculative housing purchases by investment funds. PP voted against the Government’s housing initiatives. Vox did too. Junts also rejected the package, so the proposed safeguards failed in Parliament.
The parliamentary route is therefore exposed. Sánchez can commit the Government to protecting vulnerable households, but Junts has rejected measures it previously negotiated with the executive. The pledge to prevent evictions before the end of the legislature remains politically significant while its implementation faces resistance from Junts, PP and Vox.
He has also warned of possible foreign interference in the general election on 29 November. His concern extends beyond states to non-state actors. He dismissed right-wing accusations about postal voting as a false claim driven by fear of losing the election.
The possible pardon remains open rather than final. No complete housing programme has been announced as an accomplished outcome, and the measures required to implement the eviction pledge still lack secure parliamentary backing.
