Who is Pedro Sánchez?
Madrid is where Pedro Sánchez was born, in 1972, and his doctorate is in economics. Madrid's city council and the Congress of Deputies both counted him as a member before he became PSOE Secretary-General in 2014. He resigned that post in 2016 and won it back in 2017. Mariano Rajoy lost a no-confidence vote in June 2018, which made Sánchez Prime Minister. Since 2020 he has headed coalition governments, currently with Sumar, and his second investiture, in November 2023, came with the support of Catalan and Basque parties. Congress rejected his housing decrees, and he responded on 5 October 2026 by dissolving parliament; the general election he called is set for 29 November 2026.
Previously: Secretary-General of the PSOE (since June 2017; also 2014-2016) · Leader of the Opposition (2014-2016) · Member of the Congress of Deputies for Madrid · Madrid city councillor (2004-2009)
Documented positions
- Catalan independence leaders received an amnesty from him in a deal for their votes at his 2023 investiture.Source: theguardian.com
- A Palestinian state was recognised by his government in May 2024.Source: euronews.com
- September 2025 saw him announce a complete arms embargo against Israel, whose attacks on Palestinians he called genocide.Source: english.elpais.com
- He turned down NATO's goal of 5 percent of GDP for defence, saying it could not be squared with Spain's welfare state.Source: aljazeera.com
- In March 2026 he would not let the US use joint bases to strike Iran and said no to the war, even after President Trump threatened to end trade with Spain.Source: opb.org
- His government launched a 2026 scheme granting undocumented migrants residence and work permits for one year; applications passed a million.Source: thelocal.es
- He put forward housing decrees containing rent caps, a temporary ban on evictions and restrictions on corporate purchases of homes. Congress rejected them, so he called an election and had the cabinet approve them once more.Source: timeslive.co.za
Record
Supporters credit Sánchez with the exhumation of Franco's remains, a growing share of renewable energy, strong economic growth and a labour reform that was followed by unemployment at its lowest in almost 20 years. Critics cite the Catalan amnesty, the migrant crisis in Ceuta, corruption cases near his party and a fragmented parliament that has passed no budget since 2023.
A complaint by the People's Party over a press conference at government premises led the Central Electoral Board to open proceedings against him on 15 October 2026. Ahead of the November 2026 election, the PSOE trailed the People's Party in most private polls, though the state CIS survey placed it in front.
In their words
“And we have refused to sacrifice our welfare state on the altar of the 5% [defence spending target].”