Spanish PM sorry after top official resigns in corruption scandal

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has apologised to the Spanish people after an escalating corruption scandal brought down a senior Socialist party colleague.

Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018, said there was no such thing as "zero corruption", adding he was wrong to trust Santos Cerdán, the secretary of his party and close political colleague.

Cerdán has been asked to testify in court after a judge suggested he may have acted with former party officials in improperly awarding public contracts in exchange for kickbacks.

He said on Thursday he was stepping down to defend himself in the Supreme Court on 25 June, maintaining he had "never committed a crime nor have I been complicit one".

Amid mounting speculation over his own future, the prime minister called a news conference in a bid to distance himself from the creeping scandal. He said he knew absolutely nothing about the corruption affair and instead pledged to restructure the leadership of his Socialist PSOE party.

He rejected calls for early elections, insisting the next national vote would not take place until 2027 and his government would continue its "political project".

"This is not about me, and it's not about the Socialist party," he said.

Despite his seven years in power, Sánchez heads a shaky coalition, secured after the conservative Popular Party won 2023 elections but failed to form a government.

While the opposition demanded answers on Thursday, deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz from left-wing coalition partner Sumar said she also wanted explanations.

It was Sánchez's first appearance answering media questions since a national power outage that hit Spain in April.

Speaking from Socialist party (PSOE) headquarters in Madrid, the prime minister said he had until Thursday morning been persuaded of Santos Cerdán's integrity and wanted to apologise to Spanish citizens.

"There is no such thing as zero corruption," he said. "We shouldn't have trusted him."

Sanchez said that like many others he had his faults and asked the Spanish people for forgiveness.

He went on to accuse the conservatives of besieging his government on a multitude of issues.

Sánchez has faced repeated political crises and in April 2024 threatened to stand down.

He took five days to decide on his future in April 2024, when a court decided to open preliminary proceedings against his wife over allegations surrounding her business dealings.

Then too he called a televised news conference, and in a moment of high drama announced he had decided to stay on in the job.