This is the moment Pedro Sanchez received an enthusiastic welcome during a walkabout in an Andalucian town on Thursday.
Footage shared on social media showed crowds applauding as the Spanish prime minister walked through the streets of Palos de la Frontera in Huelva.
The PSOE leader smiled, shook hands and stopped to speak to residents as security officers and members of his entourage guided him through the gathering.
In one of the most widely shared moments, an elderly woman reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Sanchez appeared amused by the encounter and briefly embraced the woman before continuing through the crowd.
Another clip showed dozens of residents clapping as he passed, while several people held up their phones to record his visit.
Social-media users supportive of Sanchez seized on the videos as evidence that the Socialist leader remains popular with sections of the public despite Spain’s increasingly polarised political climate.
‘Wonderful Andalucian women,’ one viewer wrote while sharing footage of the kiss.
Another account claimed the images showed how warmly the PM had been received in Andalucia, while accusing ‘right wing’ media outlets of ignoring positive reactions to him.
Sanchez was in Palos de la Frontera to attend the start of construction on Moeve’s Onuba green hydrogen plant at the La Rabida Energy Park.
The €1billion development forms the first phase of the planned Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley and is expected to produce around 45,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen each year once it becomes operational.
Moeve estimates that the development, construction and launch of the plant will support more than 8,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.
During the official event, Sanchez described the project as part of the future of Huelva, Andalucia and Europe.
The prime minister was joined by Andalucian president Juanma Moreno, Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen and representatives from European institutions and the energy industry.
Construction of the 300MW facility is now under way, with production scheduled to begin in 2029.
