Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has asked for forgiveness after a leading ally in his PSOE socialist party was placed under investigation for his alleged participation in a corruption scheme.
He however refused to call an early general election with polling at the moment scheduled for 2027.
Sanchez spoke on Thursday just hours after the Supreme Court said that Santos Cerdan is suspected of being involved in a kickback scheme for government contracts.
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¨I want to ask forgiveness to the public because the Socialist Party and myself as its general secretary not should have trusted him,” Sanchez said.
“I have known Santos Cerdan since 2011 and worked arm in arm with him,” he added,
The Prime Minister stated that no matter what happens in the court case ‘this is an enormous disappointment’.
He spoke at the PSOE headquarters in Madrid and repeatedly asked Spaniards for forgiveness.
Sanchez stated that he had learned of the corruption charges against Cerdan only hours earlier.
He said he would order an external audit of the Socialist Party’s accounts, but he refused to call an early election like his political opponents have demanded for months.
“There won’t be elections until 2027, because this is not about me or the Socialist Party. This is about a project to bring positive change to the country,” Sanchez said.
Despite leading a minority government, Sanchez said that he was sure he could finish out his four-year term.
He has so far maintained the backing of his junior partner- the Sumar party, as well as regional parties in Congress.
“There is no crisis in my government,” Sanchez proclaimed.
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