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Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as
Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government (), is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the Spanish government departments, ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Mini ...
since 2018. He has also been
Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
of the
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...
(PSOE) since July 2017, having previously held that office from 2014 to 2016, and has also been serving as the ninth president of the Socialist International in 2022. Sánchez began his political career in August 2004 as a city councillor in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, before being elected to the
Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies () is the lower house of the , Spain's legislative branch, the upper house being the Senate of Spain, Senate. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Madrid. Congress has ...
in 2009. In 2014, he was elected
Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
of the
PSOE The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...
, becoming
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
. He led the party through the inconclusive
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
and 2016 general elections, but resigned as Secretary-General shortly after the latter, following public disagreements with the party's executive. He was re-elected in a leadership election eight months later, defeating internal rivals Susana Díaz and Patxi López. On 1 June 2018, the PSOE called a
vote of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
against Prime Minister
Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (, ; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a 2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy, vote of no confidence ousted his government. A m ...
, successfully passing the motion after winning the support of Unidas Podemos, as well as various regionalist and nationalist parties. Sánchez was appointed
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
by King Felipe VI the following day. He went on to lead the PSOE to gain 38 seats in the April 2019 general election, the PSOE's first national victory since
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, although they fell short of a majority. After talks to form a government failed, Sánchez again won the most votes at the November 2019 general election, forming a minority
coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
with Unidas Podemos, the first national coalition government since the country's return to democracy. After the PSOE suffered significant losses in regional elections in May 2023, Sánchez called a snap general election, which saw the PSOE hold all of its seats; despite finishing second behind the People's Party, Sánchez was able to again form a
coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
, and was appointed to a third term as Prime Minister on 17 November 2023.


Early life and education

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón was born in 1972 in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
to well-off parents, Pedro Sánchez Fernández and Magdalena Pérez-Castejón.Pedro Sánchez, la vida familiar del político al que han apodado 'míster PSOE 2014'
Published by Vanitatis, 23 June 2014, accessed 26 June 2014
His father was a public administrator who spent most of his career at the Ministry of Culture's Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música (). He later became the owner of an industrial packing company. His mother also worked as a civil servant, in the
social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
system, and later studied to become a lawyer, ultimately graduating alongside her son at the same university. Raised in the Tetuán district, he went on to study at the Colegio Santa Cristina. According to Sánchez himself, he frequented
breakdancing Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City. Breakdancing consist ...
circles in AZCA when he was a teenager. He moved from the Colegio Santa Cristina to the Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu, a public high school where he played basketball in the Estudiantes
youth system In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show en ...
, with links to the high school, reaching the U-21 team. As a teenager, Sánchez spent time in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
to learn English. In 1993, Sánchez first joined the PSOE, following the victory of
Felipe González Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a retired Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 1982 to 1996 and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He is the longest-serving democratically- ...
in that year's
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
. He earned a licentiate degree from the Real Colegio Universitario María Cristina, attached to the
Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...
, in 1995. Following his graduation, he moved to New York City to work for a global consulting firm. In 1998, Sánchez moved to
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
to work for the PSOE's delegation to the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, including as an assistant to the MEP Bárbara Dührkop. He also spent time working in the staff of the United Nations
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992 to 1995 Bos ...
, Carlos Westendorp. Combining studies with his employment, he earned a second degree, in Politics and Economics, in 1998, graduating from the . He also earned a degree in business leadership from
IESE Business School IESE Business School is the Catholic Church, Catholic graduate business school of the University of Navarra. It was established in Barcelona in 1958 by Opus Dei. From 1963, in collaboration with Harvard Business School, it offers a two-year Maste ...
in the
University of Navarra The University of Navarra is a private Catholic research university located on the southeast border of Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of '' Opus Dei'', as a corporat ...
, a private university and apostolate of the
Opus Dei is an institution of the Catholic Church that was founded in Spain in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá. Its stated mission is to help its lay and clerical members seek holiness in their everyday occupations and societies. Opus Dei is officially r ...
, and a diploma in Advanced Studies in EU Monetary Integration from the Instituto Ortega y Gasset in 2002. In 2012, Sánchez received his Doctorate in Economics from Camilo José Cela University, where he lectured in economics.


Political career


Madrid councillor and member of parliament

In 2003, Sánchez stood for
Madrid City Council The City Council of Madrid () is the top-tier administrative and governing body of Madrid, the capital and biggest city of Spain. The city council is composed by three bodies: the mayor, who leads the city council and the executive branch of it; ...
as a PSOE candidate, under the local leadership of Trinidad Jiménez. He was 23rd on the proportional representation list, but missed out as the PSOE won only 21 seats. Sánchez joined the council a year later by co-option when two of the PSOE councillors resigned. He quickly rose to become a close confidante of Trinidad Jiménez, who sought the leadership of the council. In 2005, he was seconded to help lead the PSdG (PSOE's sister party in Galicia) campaign in the Galician regional election, which saw the PSdG win enough seats to allow their leader, Emilio Pérez Touriño, to become President of Galicia. As well as his career as a Madrid City Councillor, Sánchez also worked as a university lecturer at the Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) in 2008, lecturing on Economic Structure and History of Economic Thought. Via co-option, Sánchez was elected to the
Spanish Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies () is the lower house of the , Spain's legislative branch, the upper house being the Senate of Spain, Senate. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Madrid. Congress has ...
for
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
to replace the retiring Pedro Solbes, who has served as Finance Minister under PSOE Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. O ...
. However, his first period in the Congress would be short, as at the 2011 general election, the PSOE suffered a large defeat and only elected 10 deputies for Madrid; with Sánchez 11th on the proportional list, he lost his seat in the Congress. He subsequently enrolled at the UCJC to study a Doctorate in Economics, earning his PHD 18 months later by writing a dissertation entitled ''Innovaciones de la diplomacia económica española: Análisis del sector público (2000–2012)'' (English translation: Innovations of Spanish Economic Diplomacy: Analysis of the Public Sector (2000–2012)), supervised by María Isabel Cepeda González. In 2018, Sánchez was accused by the ''ABC'' newspaper of plagiarism in his doctorate. Refuting the allegations, Sánchez published his full thesis online. However, these allegations have been disputed by Markus Goldbach, CEO of Plagscan, a plagiarism checker software previously presented as evidence. In January 2013, Sánchez returned to Congress representing Madrid, replacing Cristina Narbona, who resigned to accept appointment at the Nuclear Safety Council. After the resignation of PSOE leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, following poor results at the
2014 European Parliament election The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 22 and 25 May 2014. It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties field ...
, Sánchez launched his campaign to succeed him on 12 June 2014. He was elected as PSOE Secretary-General on 13 July, winning 49% of votes against his opponents Eduardo Madina and José Antonio Pérez Tapias. He was formally appointed Secretary-General after an Extraordinary Congress of the PSOE was held on 26 July to ratify the result, becoming
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
.


Leader of the Opposition

Presenting a platform based on political regeneration, Sánchez called for constitutional reforms establishing
federalism Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, State (sub-national), states, Canton (administrative division), ca ...
as the form of administrative organisation of Spain to ensure that
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
would remain within the country; a new progressive fiscal policy; extending the welfare state to all citizens; increasing the membership of labour unions to strengthen economic recovery; and regaining the confidence of former Socialist voters disenchanted by the measures taken by Zapatero during his term as prime minister amid an economic crisis. He also opposed the
grand coalition A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political party, political parties of opposing political spectrum, political ideologies unite in a coalition government. Causes of a grand coali ...
model supported by the former PSOE Prime Minister
Felipe González Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a retired Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 1982 to 1996 and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He is the longest-serving democratically- ...
, who lobbied in favour of adopting a more German system to prevent political instability, by instructing his European party caucus not to support the consensus candidate
Jean-Claude Juncker Jean-Claude Juncker (; born 9 December 1954) is a Luxembourgish politician who was List of prime ministers of Luxembourg, prime minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013 and president of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. He also was List ...
of the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
for the role of
President of the European Commission The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the Head of government, head of the European Commission, the Executive (government), executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president ...
. Upon taking office as PSOE's Secretary-General, Sánchez quickly faced a political crisis following the formation of a new left-wing party, Podemos. Polling approximated that 25% of PSOE supporters would switch their support to Podemos. Sánchez responded by pushing his proposed federal model to replace the devolution model, and calling for the further secularisation of Spain's education system, including the removal of religious-affiliated public and private schools. He later named César Luena as his deputy leader. On Sunday, 21 June 2015, Sánchez was officially announced as the PSOE candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election. At the election on 20 December, the PSOE won 90 seats, ahead of Podemos who won 69 seats, but coming second to the People's Party (PP), who won with 123 seats. As the PP could not form a government, Sánchez was formally requested by the King in January 2016 to attempt to form a coalition, but he could not win the support of a majority of representatives. This led to a snap general election in June 2016, where the PSOE lost several seats and remained second to the PP.


Resignation and comeback

Following the 2016 general election, Sánchez argued the PSOE should refuse to allow the PP to form a government, which would break the national political deadlock. Susana Díaz, the President of Andalusia, began to lead criticism of Sánchez's leadership, arguing that his hardline position on government formation was harming the party. After poor results for the PSOE in the September
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
and Galician regional elections, numerous PSOE figures followed Díaz in calling for Sánchez's resignation. The situation quickly developed into a party crisis, dubbed by some in the media as the "war of the roses", after Sánchez called a special PSOE congress for the autumn to settle the issue. This prompted half of the PSOE executive committee to resign, and on Saturday, 1 October 2016, Sánchez lost a vote in the PSOE federal committee to support his proposals for an autumn congress; he immediately resigned as Secretary-General and was replaced by an interim "caretaker committee" while a fresh leadership election could be organised. Soon after his resignation, the PSOE caretaker committee decided to abstain in the investiture vote, which would enable the PP's
Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (, ; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a 2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy, vote of no confidence ousted his government. A m ...
to be re-elected as prime minister. Saying that he could not obey this directive as it would mean "betraying his word" not to allow Rajoy to be re-elected, Sánchez resigned his seat in the Congress of Deputies, and declared he would stand in the upcoming leadership election. 15 PSOE MPs broke party discipline in response, by refusing to abstain in the investiture vote and voting against Rajoy, yet as Rajoy only needed an abstention from 11 PSOE MPs out of 84, he easily won the vote to be invested as prime minister. After resigning as Secretary-General and from the Congress, Sánchez began a national tour, driving his own car around to visit party members throughout different parts of Spain. After an energetic campaign, during which he criticised the caretaker committee for allowing the investiture of Rajoy, on Sunday, 21 May 2017, Sánchez was re-elected Secretary-General by the party membership, taking 50.2% of the vote, and defeating his rival Susana Díaz, who took 39.94%, as well as Patxi López, who won 9.85%; his position was affirmed at a PSOE executive meeting on 17 June, and the following day he was confirmed as Leader of the Opposition, despite no longer holding a seat in the Congress. As Leader of the Opposition, Sánchez joined Mariano Rajoy in opposing the
2017 Catalan independence referendum An independence referendum was held on 1 October 2017 in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia, passed by the Parliament of Catalonia as the Law on the Referendum on Self-determination of Catalonia and called by the Generalitat de Catalun ...
, and supported the Spanish Government's decision to dismiss the Catalan Government and impose direct rule on
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
in October 2017 following the crisis. Throughout 2017 and 2018, the Gürtel trial caused controversy for the Rajoy Government; finally, after critical verdicts were announced in May 2018, Sánchez announced that the PSOE would file a motion of no confidence against Rajoy. Under the Spanish Constitution, such motions are constructive, meaning those bringing the motion must simultaneously propose a replacement candidate for prime minister. If the motion carries, the replacement candidate is automatically deemed to have the confidence of the Congress and ascends as prime minister. Accordingly, the PSOE nominated Sánchez as the alternative prime minister. Sánchez led negotiations with other political parties, and ultimately secured the support of enough minor parties in the Congress to guarantee passage of the motion. On Friday, 1 June 2018, 180 Deputies supported the motion of no confidence, clearing the required threshold of 176, forcing Rajoy's resignation. Rajoy recommended Sánchez as his successor.


Premiership (2018–present)


First term in office

Sánchez was formally installed as Prime Minister of Spain by King Felipe VI on 2 June 2018. Outlining his priorities, Sánchez said he would form a short-term government that would increase unemployment benefit and propose a law guaranteeing equal pay between the sexes, before dissolving the Congress of Deputies and holding a general election. However, he also said he would uphold the 2018 budget that had already been passed by the Rajoy Government, a condition that the
Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party ( , EAJ; , PNV; , PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially the Basque National Party in English, is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party. The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum. It has been de ...
required to vote for the motion of no confidence. Sánchez also announced he would only propose other measures if they had considerable parliamentary support, re-affirming his government's compliance with the EU deficit requirements. As Sánchez swore his oath of office to the Spanish Constitution, no Bible or
crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...
were used for the first time in modern Spanish history, due to Sánchez's
atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
.


Domestic policy

On 18 June 2018, the Sánchez Government announced its intention to remove the remains of former dictator
Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
from the Valley of the Fallen. On 24 August the Cabinet approved a decree modifying two aspects of the 2007 Historical Memory Law to allow for the exhumation of Franco's remains from the Valley of the Fallen. After a year of legal battles with Franco's descendants, the exhumation took place on 24 October 2019, and Franco was reburied at Mingorrubio Cemetery in El Pardo with his wife Carmen Polo. After the 2019 sentence of Catalonian independence leaders, Sánchez confirmed his government's support of the sentence, and denied the possibility of any pardon, proclaiming that the sentence should be served by the convicts in its entirety. Sánchez would, however, eventually grant a partial pardon to most convicts in 2021, stressing that despite the pardon there would never be a referendum for the independence of Catalonia, with then
Spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
María Jesús Montero María Jesús Montero Cuadrado (; born 4 February 1966) is a Spanish hospital administrator and politician of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) who has been serving as Ministry of Finance (Spain), Minister of Finance under Prime Ministe ...
that "We will not renounce, as a government, to do what we think is best for our country, its coexistence, stability and progress" and the Catalan conflict needs "that the word, dialogue, coexistence and the capacity for reunion take on a leading role that should never have been lost". Following the 2023 general election, the
Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies () is the lower house of the , Spain's legislative branch, the upper house being the Senate of Spain, Senate. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Madrid. Congress has ...
passed the ''Organic Law 1/2024, of amnesty for the institutional, political and social normalisation in Catalonia'', a requirement for his 2023 investiture by Catalan pro-independence parties Together for Catalonia and
Republican Left of Catalonia The Republican Left of Catalonia (, ERC; ; generically branded as ) is a pro-Catalan independence, social democratic political party in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia, with a presence also in Valencia, the Balearic Islands and t ...
, which aimed at pardoning all those sentenced or prosecuted between 2011 and 2023 for Catalan independence, becoming the second amnesty law after the Law 46/1977, of amnesty. Notwithstanding as of , no politician has benefitted from the law.


Foreign policy

Sánchez took a very active role in the international sphere, particularly in the European Union, saying that "Spain has to claim its role" and declaring himself "a militant pro-European". On 16 January 2019, in a speech before the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, he said that the EU should be protected and turned into a global actor, and that a more social Europe is needed, with a strong monetary union. He stated in a speech in March 2019 that the enemies of Europe are "inside of the European Union". During his second government, he continued strengthening the pro-European profile of his ministers, including by appointing José Luis Escrivá, the Chair of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility and former chair of the EU Independent Fiscal Institutions Network, as his Minister for Social Security. In June 2020, the Sánchez Government proposed Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nadia Calviño to be the next Chair of the
Eurogroup The Eurogroup is the recognised collective term for the informal meetings of the finance ministers of the eurozone—those member states of the European Union (EU) which have adopted the euro as their official currency. The group has 20 members ...
. In September 2018, Defence Minister Margarita Robles cancelled sales of
laser-guided bomb A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly pro ...
s to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
over concerns relating to the
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa, launched a military intervention in Yemen at the request of Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from the capital, Sa ...
. Overruling Robles, Sánchez ordered the sale to proceed, allegedly due to a promise made to Susana Díaz to help protect jobs in the shipyards of the
Bay of Cádiz The Bay of Cádiz is a body of water in the province of Cádiz, Spain, adjacent to the southwestern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The Bay of Cádiz adjoins the Gulf of Cádiz, a larger body of water which is in the same area but further offsh ...
, highly dependent on the €1.813 billion contract with Saudi Arabia to deliver five corvettes. In response to the killing of Saudi dissident journalist
Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...
in October 2018, Sánchez defended the decision to continue arms sales to Saudi Arabia and insisted on his government's "responsibility" to protect jobs in the arms industry.


Second term in office

Under Sánchez's premiership, the Congress approved a total central government budget of 196 billion euros – the biggest budget in the country's history – in 2021, after he had won the support of the Catalan pro-independence
Republican Left of Catalonia The Republican Left of Catalonia (, ERC; ; generically branded as ) is a pro-Catalan independence, social democratic political party in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia, with a presence also in Valencia, the Balearic Islands and t ...
. Following the fall of Kabul and the subsequent ''de facto'' creation of the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, the Prime Minister offered Spain as a hub for Afghans who collaborated with the European Union, who would later be settled in various countries. The Spanish Government created a temporary refugee camp in the air base of
Torrejón de Ardoz Torrejón de Ardoz () is a municipality of Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid. The European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), an agency of the European Union, is located in Torrejón de Ardoz. It is also the location of the headquarters of ...
, which was later visited by officials from the European Union, including
President of the European Commission The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the Head of government, head of the European Commission, the Executive (government), executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president ...
Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
and
President of the European Council The president of the European Council is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council on the world stage. This Institutions of the European Union, institution comprises the college of heads of state or governme ...
Charles Michel Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium, prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Miche ...
. Von der Leyen praised the Sánchez Government's initiative, stating that the actions of Spain represented "a good example of the European soul at its best". US President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
spoke with Sánchez to allow the use of the military bases of Rota and Morón to temporarily accommodate Afghan refugees, while praising "Spain's leadership in seeking international support for Afghan women and girls". Sánchez condemned the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
and expressed Spain's full support for Ukraine. In August 2022, during his state visit to
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
as part of his overall visits to
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
countries, Sánchez reaffirmed Spain's non-recognition of the independence of
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
.


COVID-19 pandemic

In the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, on 13 March 2020, Sánchez announced a declaration of a national state of alarm, for only the second time in Spain's democratic history, and the first time for such a period. The Cabinet agreed a nationwide lockdown, banning all trips that were not force majeure, and announced it may intervene in companies to guarantee supplies. In July 2021, the
Constitutional Court of Spain The Constitutional Court () is the supreme interpreter of the Spanish Constitution, with the power to determine the constitutionality of acts and statutes made by any public body, central, regional, or local in Spain. It is defined in Part I ...
, acting upon the 2020 appeal by Vox, sentenced by a narrow majority (6 votes in support ''vs.'' 5 votes against) that the state of alarm was unconstitutional in the part of suppressing the
freedom of movement Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights'' ...
established by the Article 19 of the
Constitution of Spain The Spanish Constitution () is the Constitution, supreme law of the Spain, Kingdom of Spain. It was enacted after its approval in 1978 in a 1978 Spanish constitutional referendum, constitutional referendum; it represents the culmination of the ...
.


Third term in office

After the PSOE suffered heavy losses in a series of
regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
and
local elections Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
across Spain, with the PP and Vox winning a large number of seats, Sánchez surprised many by announcing a snap
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
for 23 July. In a speech confirming the election, Sánchez stated that it was important to listen to the will of the people, but stressed the need to persevere with post-COVID economic recovery measures implemented by his government, and that he would seek to prevent the formation a PP-Vox Government. At the election, the PP gained 48 seats, finishing first, but the PSOE gained one seat, and Vox lost over one third of its seats; this meant that PP leader
Alberto Núñez Feijóo Alberto Núñez Feijóo (, ; born 10 September 1961) is a Spanish politician who serves as Member of the Congress of Deputies and as president of the People's Party (Spain), People's Party. He served as the president of the Regional Government o ...
was not able to form a government. After the Congress of Deputies formally rejected Feijóo's bid to be invested in September 2023, King Felipe VI appointed Sánchez to form a government. After obtaining the support of the left-wing Sumar alliance, as well as a series of pro-independence and regionalist political parties, the Congress of Deputies re-elected Sánchez as Prime Minister on 16 November 2023; he was formally appointed to a third term the following day, sparking protests. Following weeks of political tensions, which saw Sánchez accepting an amnesty law for Catalan pro independence politicians convicted or investigated for events related to the
2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis A constitutional crisis took place in Spain from 2017 to 2018 as the result of a political conflict between the Government of Spain and the Generalitat de Catalunya under the then-President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, President Carles Puigd ...
and the 2019–2020 Catalan protests, he was able to secure enough support to be re-elected as prime minister by an absolute majority on 16 November 2023. Sánchez's re-election and amnesty law proposal sparked protests. Sánchez criticised Israel's actions in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
during the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. He promised to "work in Europe and in Spain to recognise the Palestinian state". Along with
Leo Varadkar Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024, as Tánaiste from 2020 to 2022, and as leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. A Teachta Dála, ...
of Ireland, he has been widely recognised as one of the most pro-Palestine voices and critics with the Israeli actions within the European Union. Spain officially recognised the
State of Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
on 28 May 2024, with the borders established in 1967, in coordination with Ireland and Norway. On 6 June 2024 Spain joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel. Speaking at the Washington summit in July 2024, Sánchez urged
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
members to avoid "double standards" regarding the wars in
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
and Gaza, saying, "If we demand respect for international law in Ukraine, we must demand it in Gaza as well." On 24 April 2024, due to a court investigation of his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged
influence peddling Influence peddling, also called traffic of influence or trading in influence, is the practice of using one's influence in government or connections with authorities to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for ...
charges presented by Manos Limpias, a far-right proxy trade union, Sánchez announced through a letter in the X social network that he was considering his resignation from the position of prime minister, citing a right-wing media offensive to wear him down. Several media noted how Manos Limpias' charges against Sánchez's wife were based on press headlines and fake news, a fact that the trade union acknowledged as possible. On 26 April 2024 and in a joint investigation, '' elDiario.es'', ''
El País (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second-most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . is the most read newspaper in ...
'' and ''
La Vanguardia ' (; , ) is a Spanish daily newspaper founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan. It has its headquarters in Barcelona and is Catalonia's leading newspaper. Despite being mostly distributed in Catalonia, ...
'' newspapers revealed a plot by the PP, dating back to
Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (, ; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a 2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy, vote of no confidence ousted his government. A m ...
's government in 2014, to spy and produce information on Sánchez's and Gómez's relatives to "politically kill him" by using Manos Limpias to present criminal charges. On 27 April, thousands gathered outside the PSOE's headquarters in Calle Ferraz, Madrid, in an effort to persuade Sánchez not to resign. The case has drawn comparisons to
António Costa António Luís Santos da Costa (; born 17 July 1961) is a Portuguese lawyer and politician who has served as President of the European Council since 2024. He previously served as the 118th prime minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024 and th ...
's resignation in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
over the Operation Influencer investigation, which attracted criticism for several mistakes. On 29 April, Sánchez announced that he would not be resigning despite a "harassment and bullying operation" and that he would be fighting "even harder" as prime minister. As a result of Manos Limpias' complaint, Gómez has been under investigation for alleged crimes of influence peddling and corruption in business, with the judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, deciding during the
2024 European Parliament election The 2024 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 6 and 9 June 2024. It was the tenth Elections to the European Parliament, parliamentary election since the 1979 European Parliament election, first direct electio ...
campaign—and without waiting to take testimony from witnesses—to call her to testify on 5 July 2024, though this was later postponed to 19 July. She invoked her right not to testify. Sánchez replied by accusing opposition leaders
Alberto Núñez Feijóo Alberto Núñez Feijóo (, ; born 10 September 1961) is a Spanish politician who serves as Member of the Congress of Deputies and as president of the People's Party (Spain), People's Party. He served as the president of the Regional Government o ...
and Santiago Abascal of trying to influence the outcome of the European Parliament elections on 9 June by using his wife's situation against him, while claiming that the unwritten rule of not issuing judicial resolutions that could affect the normal development of an electoral campaign and the vote had not been followed this time. Through a new ruling, judge Peinado replied to Sánchez by arguing that there was no law in Spain preventing him from continuing his investigation during the electoral period; this was promptly criticised by the Spanish government, which responded that "rulings are not to attack anyone". On 15 July 2024, businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés testified and stated that Begoña Gómez had met with him up to eight times at the
Palace of Moncloa The Palace of Moncloa (), also known as Moncloa Palace or La Moncloa, is the official residence and workplace of the President of the Government (Spanish: ''Presidente del Gobierno''), a position usually known in the English language as the Prime ...
, the prime minister's official residence and workplace. Pedro Sánchez was said to be also present at two of these meetings, but no other details were offered other than his presence in one of them being a brief "greeting" and another one being in the context of a round of meetings with innovation businessmen. On 22 July, the judge summoned Pedro Sánchez to testify as a witness, but he exercised his right not to testify as the husband of the person under investigation. Vox denounced Pedro Sánchez and the
Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
for using the State Attorney's Office against the judge investigating his wife; as of November 2024, the Supreme Court accumulated the complaints of Vox, Hazte Oir and Iustitia Europa against Sánchez and her wife before deciding whether to investigate them or not. Sánchez has been supportive of legal
immigration to Spain Immigration to Spain increased significantly at the beginning of the 21st century. In 1998, immigrants accounted for 1.6% of the population, and by 2009, that number had risen to over 12%. Until 2014, the number of immigrants decreased due to t ...
as a way to foster economic growth and sustaining the country's welfare state. On 9 October 2024, Sánchez urged the European Parliament to speed up the implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum to alleviate the migration crisis in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, which had seen the illegal arrival of a record number of 46,843 migrants, mostly from
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
(up from 39,910 in 2023). Sánchez tried to push through a law that would introduce mandatory distribution of migrants among Spanish regions in order to alleviate pressure in the Canary Islands. The Sánchez government planned to legalise around 900,000 undocumented migrants by 2027. On 3 November 2024, Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Valencian president
Carlos Mazón Carlos Arturo Mazón Guixot (born 8 April 1974) is a Spanish People's Party (Spain), People's Party (PP) politician. He was elected president of the Provincial deputation (Spain), Provincial Deputation of the Province of Alicante in 2019 and has ...
were violently confronted during a meeting with people affected by the
October 2024 Spain floods On 29 October 2024, torrential rain caused by an cut-off low, isolated low-pressure area at high levels brought over a year's worth of precipitation to several areas in eastern Spain, including the Valencian Community, Castilla–La Mancha, and ...
in Paiporta in the
Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...
, who threw mud and objects at them and injured two bodyguards. In May 2025, Sánchez called Israel a "
genocidal Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" b ...
state" and said that Spain "does not do business" with such a country.


Ideology

In 2014, Sánchez ran to be PSOE Secretary-General under what has been described as a "centrist" and "
social liberal Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which favors limited g ...
" platform, before moving further left in his successful 2017 bid to return to the leadership, during which he stood for a "re-foundation of
social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
", to transition to a "post-capitalist society", ending " neoliberal capitalism". One key idea posed in his 2019 ''Manual de Resistencia'' book is "the indissoluble link between 'social democracy' and 'Europe'". Sánchez is also a strong opponent of prostitution and has advocated for its abolition. Sánchez voiced support for the European Green Deal and the green transition. He advocates for a federal European Union. Sánchez supports replacement migration to combat the decline and aging of Spain's population. Following the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout, Sanchez and his government have expressed their staunch opposition to nuclear energy, citing that much of the world's uranium comes from Russia and their focus on other sources of renewable energies.


Personal life

Sánchez married Begoña Gómez in 2006 and has two daughters. The civil wedding was officiated by Trinidad Jiménez. Sánchez is an outspoken atheist, as is the majority of his government. Aside from Spanish, Sánchez speaks fluent English and French. He is the first Spanish prime minister to be fluent in English while in office Until the transition to democracy following the death of
Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
in the mid-1970s, foreign languages were not widely taught in Spanish schools, and former prime ministers, as representatives of their generation, have been known for struggling with them as a result.


Electoral history


Distinctions

*: ** Grand Collar of the
Order of the Condor of the Andes The Order of the Condor of the Andes () is a state decoration of the Plurinational State of Bolivia instituted on 12 April 1925. The Order is awarded for exceptional merit, either civil or military, shown by Bolivians or foreign nationals. The ...
(29 August 2018). *: **Medal of
Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his death in 1973 Chilean coup d'état, 1973. As a ...
(28 August 2018). *: ** Grand Cross of the Order of Boyaca (5 May 2023) *: **
Knight Grand Cross A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
(16 November 2021). *: ** Grand Cross of the
Order of the Sun of Peru The Order of the Sun of Peru (Spanish: ''Orden El Sol del Perú''), formerly known as the Order of the Sun, is the highest award bestowed by the nation of Peru to commend notable civil and military merit. The award is the oldest civilian award in ...
(27 February 2019). *: **
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise () is a Ukrainian award. It is awarded for distinguished services to the state and people of the Ukrainian nation in the field of state building, strengthening the international prestige of Ukraine, develop ...
, first degree (30 December 2023)


Notable published works

* Ocaña Orbis, Carlos y Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Pedro (2013): ''La nueva diplomacia económica española''. Madrid: Delta. . * Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Pedro (2019): ''Manual de resistencia''. Madrid: Península. .


Controversial authorship

* In 2018 a newspaper revealed that his book ''La nueva diplomacia económica española'' includes the plagiarism of six other people's texts. The suspicion was extended to his doctoral thesis, whose authorship was questioned. * Regarding ''Manual de resistencia'', Sánchez is given as the author, but the falsity of this claim is evidenced from the words of Sánchez himself, who states in the prologue that "This book is the result of long hours of conversation with Irene Lozano, writer, thinker, politician and friend. She gave a literary form to the recordings, giving me a decisive help". The mentioned writer, for her part, affirmed that "I made the book, but the author is the prime minister".


Notes


References


External links

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Pedro 1972 births Living people Politicians from Madrid Prime ministers of Spain Leaders of political parties in Spain Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politicians Spanish atheists Madrid city councillors (2003–2007) Madrid city councillors (2007–2011) Members of the 10th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 11th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 12th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 13th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 14th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 15th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Sun of Peru University of Navarra alumni Université libre de Bruxelles alumni 20th-century Spanish people 21st-century Spanish male writers 21st-century Spanish non-fiction writers Leaders of the opposition (Spain)