A majority of Spaniards believe Pedro Sanchez should resign or call an early election due to the ongoing corruption scandal.
The prime minister’s governing socialist party (PSOE), has been engulfed by the so-called Koldo Case, which alleges a multi-million euro kickback scheme run by some of Sanhcez’s closest allies.
READ MORE: What is the Koldo Case currently rocking Spain’s government?
The alleged ringleader has already been jailed ahead of trial and judges believe several others may be implicated as the investigation continues.
Now, a poll by 40dB for Cadena SER and El Pais reveals that 41.2% of the population want Sanchez to dissolve parliament and head to the polls immediately.
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Another 17.6% believe he should resign and hand over the reins to another PSOE figure to steer the government through to 2027.
More worryingly for Sanchez, just 21% want him to stay on until the end of his term, and 13.5% think he should submit to a confidence vote.
The split reflects a deeply polarised electorate. On the right, PP and Vox supporters overwhelmingly demand elections now, nearly 70% of them.
On the left, PSOE and Podemos voters want Sanchez to hold the line. Over half back him staying the course, while Sumar supporters are more divided: 30% back completing the term, 27% lean toward a confidence vote.
Among Socialist (PSOE) voters, just 21% favour either elections or Sanchez stepping aside. That figure drops below 17% for Podemos voters. But Sumar presents a different picture: nearly 37% of its base now support either of those two exit routes.
Elsewhere, Sanchez’s response to the scandal has failed to reassure the public. The 40dB survey gives him a score of just 3.7 out of 10 for handling the crisis, and 4 for the speed of his reaction. Still, nearly 30% of those polled awarded him a 6 or higher on both counts.
The broader electorate expects the scandal to spread. According to the poll, 77% believe more PSOE members will be implicated. Some 73% expect it to reach ministers or former ministers, 65% believe it will taint figures from other parties, and 62% think even Sanchez himself could eventually be drawn in.
That last figure, however, is driven almost entirely by right-wing voters. Among PSOE, Sumar, and Podemos supporters, the idea that Sanchez is personally involved is viewed as far-fetched.
The scandal has clearly bruised the PSOE, which 40% of respondents now see as the most tainted by corruption. But the conservative Partido Popular isn’t far behind, 28% saying it, too, is deeply compromised. One in five Spaniards believe all parties are equally corrupt.
