Pedro Sanchez beamed with pride in a speech on Wednesday night after Spain was named the safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ people.

The Spanish prime minister was once again rallying support for his former cabinet minister Maria Montero.

She is standing in the Andalucia elections on Sunday, May 17, as the the candidate for the PSOE.

‘For everyone here who is LGBTQ+ and wants to live their life.

‘They consider that Spain is the best country in the world, because we protect your rights, defend your freedoms.

‘Is there better pride than this? Proud to be a country that values rights and freedom against the reactionary wave we are seeing throughout the world and here in Spain.’

He wrote later in a post on X: ‘Spain is the best country in the world to live in for LGTBI people.

‘There is no greater PRIDE than being a bastion country of rights and freedoms in the face of the reactionary wave we are seeing around the world.’

Spain this week overtook countries including Malta and Belgium in the annual ranking by Rainbow Map, which evaluates nations based on legal protections, anti-discrimination laws, gender recognition rights, family protections and broader equality measures.

The country has long been viewed as one of Europe’s most progressive nations on LGBTQ+ rights after legalising same-sex marriage back in 2005 under former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

In recent years Spain has further expanded protections through new transgender rights legislation and anti-discrimination reforms.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.