Thousands Protest in Spain Against the Government, Calling for a New Election

Tens of thousands of supporters of Spain’s opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) took to the streets in the capital Madrid on Sunday, demanding the resignation of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over corruption allegations and calling for early elections, the Associated Press reported. 

Organizers said that up to 100,000 attended, according to Deutsche Welle, with official estimates half of that number. 

Protesters waved red and yellow Spanish flags and chanted “Pedro Sánchez, resign!” and “Mafia or Democracy,” a response to alleged corruption accusations that Sánchez’s allies and family have been facing for the past year. 

The protests follow the leak of an audio recording allegedly highlighting how Leire Díez, a former member of Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), waged a smear campaign against the Guardia Civil police unit investigating Sánchez’s wife, his brother, and the former transport minister, the Guardian reported. 

In the recordings, Díez appeared to offer judicial leniency in return for compromising information on senior members of the unit. After the leak, Diez resigned from the PSOE. She has denied any wrongdoing on behalf of the prime minister or the party. 

Meanwhile, the prime minister said his opponents are conducting a “harassment and bullying operation” against him and his wife, saying that false accusations directed at her are aimed at bringing him down.  

Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, is under investigation for corruption and influence peddling after complaints brought up by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a group with links to the far right and a long history of targeting leftist political opponents via the courts, the Independent wrote.  

Sánchez’s brother, David, is on trial for influence peddling and other offenses in a case that was also brought by Manos Limpias, among others. He denies the charges. 

Meanwhile, PP’s leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for a snap election. 

The PP, however, is still dogged by allegations of incompetence for its handling of the deadly floods that swept Valencia last year, one of the regions it governs. The party was also ousted from government seven years ago following several corruption scandals.