Thousands of protesters marched through the Spanish capital on Sunday, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Protesters holding placards with slogans “Enough is enough!” and “Not another day!” marched through the busy streets of Madrid City, accusing Sanchez’s left-wing government of corruption.
The demonstrations were organised and led by the opposition centre-right People’s Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo. The rally in the central part of Madrid carried the slogan “Mafia or democracy?”
This is far from an isolated incident; left-wing governments across several countries are facing mounting challenges from the right-wing ultra-nationalist parties. Organisers claimed approximately 80,000 people took part in the anti-government demonstrations, while the Spanish Interior Ministry said that there were 40,000 people.
Earlier in June, another large-scale protest was organised by the People’s Party against the Sanchez-led government. Some protesters are constantly raising their voices for the snap elections to be held in the country by early next year. Sunday’s demonstrations occurred after the Supreme Court ordered a pre-trial detention of Sanchez’s transport minister, Jose Luis Abalos, and his ex-adviser, Koldo Garcia.
Widespread allegations of corruption in Spain have made the situation untenable for the common people in the country who are struggling amid high inflation, soaring rents, and energy costs. Meanwhile, responding to the development, Sanchez has vowed not to quit before the end of the current parliamentary term in 2027.
