“He’s at a critical juncture, the worst moment of his tenure, and he has managed to use this issue as a way of reconnecting with his voters and filling a political void,” said Lluís Orriols, a political scientist at Carlos III University.
In June, Sánchez was forced to apologize after the release of audio recordings featuring his party’s No. 3, Santos Cerdán, that appeared to implicate him in a vast kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. Another former senior Socialist and close Sánchez ally, José Luis Ábalos, who had been transport minister, had already been implicated, although he insists he became unwittingly involved in the alleged scheme. Both have been forced to leave the party; Cerdán is in preventive custody.
Meanwhile, a judge has been investigating Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged business irregularities, and his brother, David, is expected to go on trial for charges that include influence peddling. Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz is due to face trial for revealing confidential information. All deny any wrongdoing.
The government has cast the cases implicating Sánchez’s family members and García Ortiz as politically motivated. However, the scandals have still dominated the political agenda, giving the impression that the prime minister could fall at any moment.
But now the focus has switched — to Gaza.
With 82 percent of Spaniards deeming Israel’s actions in Gaza to be genocide, according to the Royal Elcano Institute, a bold stance on the issue makes political sense for the government.
