Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday, June 8, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and calling for snap parliamentary elections.
The demonstration, led by the opposition conservative People’s Party and held under the slogan “Mafia or Democracy,”drew an estimated crowd of 45,000 to 50,000 people, though organizers claimed the turnout reached 100,000. The protest follows a turbulent year for Sánchez’s administration, which has been marred by multiple corruption scandals involving government figures and associates.
Tensions escalated further after a former member of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was accused of attempting to discredit the head of the economic crimes unit of the Civil Guard (UCO). This unit is currently investigating allegations involving Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez, his brother David Sánchez, and former transport minister José Luis Ábalos.
Sánchez has responded by denouncing the accusations and asserting that they form part of a broader attack on him and his family.
“Campaign of persecution and intimidation,” is how he described the situation, adding that the charges against his wife are intended to bring about his “personal and political downfall.”
At the demonstration, protesters held signs such as “Sánchez – Traitor” and “Government, Resign.” People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo addressed the crowd with a call to action: “Spain needs a revolution of decency and freedom – and we will lead this revolution in the streets and at the ballot box.”
Begoña Gómez is facing accusations of influence peddling and corruption related to her time at the IE Africa Center, where she is alleged to have assisted in securing government subsidies for companies with which she had professional ties.
