Pedro Sanchez was full of energy in Malaga on Friday night as he delivered a rousing speech in support for socialist candidate Maria Jesus Montero.

The prime minister’s intervention comes as the party tries to claw back momentum ahead of the Andalucia elections on May 17.

The rally, held in Cartama, marked one of the biggest campaign moments so far for the PSOE – and a clear attempt to counter polls suggesting a comfortable win for the conservative Partido Popular.

Sanchez struck a defiant tone from the outset. ‘There is a race, and we’re going to win it,’ he told supporters, urging them not to be discouraged by surveys predicting defeat.

His message focused heavily on pride in the PSOE’s record after eight years in power.

He pointed to economic growth, rising employment, and a sharp increase in the minimum wage as proof that Spain has turned a corner.

‘Where there was crisis, now there is growth. Where there was unemployment, now there is jobs,’ he said.

‘Proud to be a socialist, proud to be Spanish.’

He also took aim at the concept of ‘national priority’ promoted by the far right and increasingly echoed by the PP, arguing that government choices define whether a country moves forward or backwards – particularly when it comes to public services like healthcare.

Sanchez didn’t shy away from international issues either, using the rally to repeat his criticism of Israel and demand the release of a Spanish citizen detained during the Gaza aid flotilla incident.

‘Spain will always protect its citizens and defend international law,’ he said.

Montero, for her part, kept her focus firmly on domestic concerns, especially healthcare and housing, two of the biggest issues for Andalucian voters.

She pledged to eliminate waiting lists in the public health system ‘by law’ if elected, and promised new measures to help young people access housing, including covering part of deposit costs and expanding rental aid.

Meanwhile, former leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero played the role of veteran motivator, reminding supporters of the PSOE’s historic achievements and accusing the right of opposing social progress before eventually accepting it.

He also criticised the tone of political debate, calling on conservative and far-right parties to stop personal attacks against Sanchez and warning against what he described as a growing climate of hostility.

Despite the energy on display, the challenge for the PSOE remains steep. Polls suggest the party may struggle to improve on its previous result, with the PP’s Juanma Moreno still the clear favourite.

That’s why turnout is now the key battleground.

Montero warned that talk of an inevitable right-wing victory could discourage left-leaning voters from going to the polls, in a scenario the PSOE is desperate to avoid.

Cartama, the rally location, holds symbolic weight for Sanchez. It was one of the first places he visited during his political comeback in 2017, when he fought his way back to lead the party.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.