The recent debate in the European Parliament has elevated the corruption allegations against the PSOE and directly against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to a new, international level. What the People’s Party (PP) had announced as a “very tough debate,” in which national and international deputies would be mobilized against the head of government, proved to be even sharper. In particular, the intervention of the Swedish MEP Tomas Tobé left no doubt about the seriousness of the situation.
Sharp Criticism from Sweden: A Wake-Up Call for Spain
Tomas Tobé, a member of the European People’s Party (EPP), delivered the first and longest speech for his group, emphasizing firmly: “We have reached a point where we must be very clear: unfortunately, we have a serious problem with the rule of law in Spain. Corruption. Abuse of power. Weakening of institutions. Parliament and the Commission can no longer remain silent.” These words highlight the growing concern in Europe about the corruption cases uncovered by the UCO, which are directly linked to Pedro Sánchez, his family, his party, and his government.
Tobé did not hold back from direct criticism of Sánchez’s actions: “What Mr. Sánchez is doing is not typical of a European democracy. If something like this happened in my country, Sweden, the Prime Minister would resign and call for new elections. Mr. Sánchez, the party is over.” The last sentence, delivered in impeccable Swedish Spanish, resonated in the plenary hall in Strasbourg, making it clear that the matter goes beyond internal Spanish politics and affects all of Europe. This was also the PP’s intention by having an international MEP lead this important debate.
Varying Reactions in the European Parliament
The reaction of the Social Democrats to the accusations was swift. The Social Democratic MEP Javier Moreno dismissed the criticism, stating: “This debate makes no sense. Spain has a consolidated rule of law.” Former Interior Minister Juan Fernando López Aguilar expressed a similar stance. Nicolás González also brought up the recurring topic of Marcial Dorado, while Jaume Arens from Sumar expressed his indignation that the PP was acting as an accuser of corruption, given its own past scandals.
However, the attacks did not only come from the PP. The Vox group also spoke out. Jorge Buxadé, known for his vehement language, referred to “prostitutes” in allusion to the conversations between José Luis Ábalos and Koldo about prostitution.
In addition, from the ECR group, MEPs Diego Solier and Nora Junco, who recently switched from Alvise to Giorgia Meloni’s group, intervened. Junco appeared dressed in red and white, as a sign that “Spain hurts,” and joined the attacks on Sánchez and the PSOE. The debate highlighted the deep divisions and strong polarization that the corruption scandal is causing in Spanish and European politics. The demand for accountability and transparency is growing louder, and the international implications of the scandal could be far-reaching for the Sánchez government.
