Sumar Presses Sánchez With Anti-Corruption Ultimatum After Coalition Talks Stall

Spain’s governing partners entered open confrontation after Sumar handed the Socialist Party (PSOE) a detailed package of anti-corruption and social reforms and warned that it will abandon the coalition if illegal financing of the PSOE is confirmed. Vice-President Yolanda Díaz said her group “would leave the Government” should Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez be personally implicated in the so-called Koldo–Cerdán procurement affair. At a two-hour monitoring committee meeting on 2 July, Sumar presented a document calling for a comprehensive anti-corruption law, a 20-year bar on companies convicted of bribery from bidding for public contracts, a 30-year disqualification period for officials found guilty, a ban on pardons for corruption offenders and the creation of an independent enforcement agency. The paper also presses for higher housing investment, mandatory rent freezes, and longer paid parental leave. PSOE negotiators Félix Bolaños and María Jesús Montero left the session without endorsing any measure but pledged to “study them point by point” and insisted the Government intends to serve its full mandate to 2027. Further talks are expected before Sánchez addresses parliament on 9 July to explain his handling of the Cerdán case. Sumar, joined by regional ally Compromís, argues that adopting the reforms is essential to restore public trust and preserve the coalition. Díaz has placed responsibility for the remainder of the legislature on Sánchez, signalling that the stability of Spain’s minority Government now hinges on the Prime Minister’s response to the ultimatum.