Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Partido Popular (PP), called for the immediate resignation of President Pedro Sánchez on Monday.
The demand follows a Supreme Court ruling that links the administration to high-level corruption, threatening the stability of the current government.
Feijóo said it is "indecent" for Sánchez to remain as president for even a minute longer. The PP leader demanded the immediate calling of general elections after the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison [1].
The sentencing relates to the "mask-scandal," known as Caso Mascarillas. Feijóo said the ruling is a condemnation of the Sánchez government, stating that the president is responsible for his minister [2].
Speaking in Madrid, Feijóo said, "Es indecente que siga un día más" — it is indecent that he continues one more day [3]. He said that the severity of the prison term for Ábalos makes the continued leadership of the current administration untenable.
The ruling on June 22 [4] marks a significant legal blow to the government's image. Feijóo said the judicial outcome proves the administration cannot escape the consequences of the scandal [5].
“"Es indecente que Sánchez siga un minuto más en la Presidencia del Gobierno"”
This development intensifies the political pressure on Pedro Sánchez by transforming a legal case against a former minister into a direct challenge to the president's legitimacy. By framing the 24-year sentence as a condemnation of the entire government, the PP is attempting to trigger a constitutional crisis or force early elections through public and parliamentary pressure.
