Spain PM rules out calling early elections amid several investigations concerning his party

Spain PM Pedro Sánchez remains steadfast in his support for former prime minister and fellow member of the socialist party (PSOE) José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Sánchez is also firm in his decision not to call early elections under the pressure of recent investigations into alleged corruption cases involving his party.

On Wednesday morning, when the prime minister was in the Vatican for his audience with the Pope, the Guardia Civil entered the PSOE headquarters in Madrid to carry out searches and request information on former PSOE member Leire Díaz.

At the same time, Judge Santiago Pedraz has announced charges against PSOE manager Ana María Fuentes.

This has not made Sánchez budge and he defended his position from Rome: "These investigations in no way undermine all the achievements this country is making in these very difficult times and we will continue in this endeavour."

Sánchez faced a difficult press conference on Wednesday, just two days after the extensive summary of the investigation that led Judge José Luis Calama to indict Zapatero for the first time in Spain's democratic history.

The ZP case investigates alleged money-laundering, organised crime and influence peddling related to the government's bailout of the Plus Ultra airline during the pandemic.

It came after the media published photos of the numerous jewels Zapatero kept in the safe in his office at the PSOE headquarters on Calle Ferraz.

"Let's respect the justice system and, if there are irregularities (new ones, I mean), we will act with the same commitment as we have before," Sánchez said in Rome. "We have been in very similar situations before and I think it is very important that the public is aware that the Spanish government is immersed in a transformation agenda that is yielding results," he stated.

The government is ignoring pressure from the Basque nationalist party (PNV), the Canary Islands, the Junts per Catalunya party, the conservative PP party and the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha

"There are some colleagues who are clearly asking me to call early elections, because they know I'll have a larger parliamentary majority in the lower house and be able to govern much more easily. I understand that, but I can't call elections for partisan interests. I have to call elections for the general interest of Spain," Sánchez stated.