Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain has tried to position himself as the European counterbalance to President Donald Trump, but his motives are being questioned by critics.
Sánchez, who is hosting a conference of left-wing leaders from around the world in Barcelona this weekend, has rejected increasing NATO spending in Madrid while positioning Spain against the Trump administration on several key policy issues.
More recently, the Spanish politician has taken a combative stance against the US and Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime, banning the US from using its military bases in Spain to refuel aircraft or prepare for military action. He has branded the campaign illegal and remained silent on the regime’s killing of thousands of protesters and its increased drive to produce ballistic missiles and acquire enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.
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A view of President Donald Trump during his first term with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. (François Lenoir/Reuters)
A few days after the war with Iran began, Sánchez said: “We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and also against our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said, under the slogan “No to the war,” the Associated Press reported.
On Saturday, Trump took aim at Sanchez’s policies in a Truth Social post, asking: “Has anyone looked at how poorly the country of Spain is doing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely terrible. Sad to see!!!”
In March, Trump said he had asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cease all dealings with Spain.”
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Critics say Sánchez, already known for his fervently anti-Israel views, has stepped up his public statements to take pressure off him over a series of corruption scandals involving family members, something he and his supporters have denied.
TOPSHOT – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will deliver a speech to announce that Spain will recognize Palestine as a state on May 28, at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid on May 22, 2024. “Next Tuesday, May 28, the Spanish Cabinet will approve the recognition of the Palestinian state,” he said, adding that his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu was putting the two-state solution in “danger” with his policy of “pain and destruction” in the Gaza Strip. (Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)
Negre said Sánchez’s position also “distracts attention from the corruption scandals that led to investigations involving his wife and his brother and to the imprisonment of people close to him.”
A Madrid judge formally charged Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, with corruption on Monday, setting off a political firestorm for the prime minister, who is already embroiled in another corruption case involving his brother.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) and his wife Begona Gomez attend a speech in Beijing, China, April 13, 2026. (Andres Martinez Casares/Pool via Reuters)
The 39-page indictment against Gómez follows a two-year investigation in which she is accused of embezzlement, abuse of influence in her position at Madrid’s Complutense University, corruption in business dealings and embezzling funds to further her personal interests. She has denied all allegations, while her husband says the accusations are an attempt by right-wing parties to undermine his coalition.
The charges came as the couple were on a state visit to China last week, with Sánchez saying: “I find it very difficult to find other interlocutors, outside China, who can resolve this situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz,” the Associated Press reported.
The complaint against Gomez was filed by anti-corruption group Manos Limpias.
The prime minister’s family scandals also include his brother, David Sanchez, who was involved in a separate influence-peddling scandal for taking a tailor-made job with a regional government in 2017, soon after the Spanish leader became secretary general of Spain’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
From 2018 to 2024, Sanchez’s government reportedly authorized the export of more than 6 million euros worth of dual-tech equipment to Iran. Although not a significant amount, critics say this measure would violate UN-approved sanctions and embargoes against Iran. Prominent Spanish politician Santiago Abascal denounced Sanchez in the Spanish Congress, accusing him of selling detonators and explosives to Iran.
Spaniards protest against Israel. Unions have called for a general strike in solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanon and demanded that the Spanish government sever ties with Israel. September 2024. (Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Following the allegations, Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center on Friday filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the Spanish Prime Minister, alleging that Spain aided the Ayatollah’s regime by transferring approximately $1.5 million worth of technology related to explosives in 2024 and 2025, despite international sanctions against the regime in support of terrorism.
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In March, the Iranian regime reportedly pasted a thank-you note with a photo of Spain’s Sanchez on a missile fired at Israel, according to images from Iran-controlled Press TV obtained by the Middle East Media and Research Institute.MEMRI.)
The Spanish leader has also faced criticism for his anti-Israel views and his war in Gaza after Palestinian terror group Hamas carried out the worst attack in the Jewish state’s history, killing 1,195 people and kidnapping 251 nationals and foreigners in 2023.
Sánchez has repeatedly called Israel a genocidal state, downgraded Spain’s diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, imposed a total arms embargo and sanctions on the Jewish state, recognized a Palestinian state despite widespread opposition, and, along with Belgium, has won praise from Hamas for its “clear and bold position on the Gaza war” since the beginning of the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 21, 2024. European Union leaders are meeting to consider new ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine. The leaders will also discuss the war in Gaza at Thursday’s summit, amid deep concerns over Israeli plans to launch a ground offensive in the city of Rafah.
Although still popular among the left, the Spanish politician has seen a steady decline in his popularity in recent months, with 61% of Spaniards having an unfavorable view of their prime minister. according to a YouGov survey as of March – his lowest approval ratings since taking office in 2018.
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