A 'democratic emergency' in Bilbao

Miguel Tellado, the secretary-general of the Partido Popular (PP), delivered a blistering attack on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his government during a party event in Bilbao's Plaza Indautxu on Saturday. Addressing PP affiliates alongside Basque PP president Javier de Andrés, Tellado described the current political situation as a 'democratic emergency' and labelled the executive 'corrupt, disgusting, and a national embarrassment'. He directly called for the dissolution of the Cortes Generales and the immediate calling of general elections.

“The time for explanations has passed. Do not appear before the Cortes Generales, dissolve them and call elections.”

The 'macrocausa Sánchez' and the 'mafia' narrative

Tellado framed the numerous judicial investigations involving the Socialist Party as interconnected pieces of what he termed the 'macrocausa: the cause Sánchez'. He cited 11 open cases and nearly 80 indicted or prosecuted individuals, including the prime minister's wife, Begoña Gómez, and former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Tellado accused Sánchez of being the 'number one' of all corruption plaguing Spanish politics over the last eight years, alleging that a five-day reflection period by the president was actually used to organise a 'gangster plot against judges and prosecutors'.

“Everything in Sánchez is rotten.”

Pressure on the PNV and Aitor Esteban

A significant portion of Tellado's speech was aimed at the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and its parliamentary spokesperson, Aitor Esteban. He dismissed Esteban's recent criticisms of the government as 'crocodile tears' and insisted that politicians must take decisions, not act as commentators. Tellado presented the PNV with a stark choice: 'Either you stand with Sánchez and sustain the mafia in power, or you support a change of government in Spain.' Javier de Andrés reinforced this, accusing the PNV of having 'surrendered to the PSOE' and calling its position 'very false'.

“Mr. Esteban, politicians are not pundits or commentators on current affairs; we have to make decisions.”

Strategic dilemmas for nationalist parties

Despite the PP's offensive, the strategic reality for nationalist formations is complex. According to analysis, both the PNV and Junts categorically refuse to support a motion of no confidence that depends on votes from Vox. Their strategy, reportedly coordinated since a 2023 meeting in Waterloo, is not to topple the government by allying with the right, but to pressure Sánchez into dissolving parliament himself by late 2026 or early 2027. Both parties share a common fear: they need to separate general elections from the 2027 municipal elections to protect their local bases from rivals like EH Bildu and ERC.

The PP's electoral calculus in the Basque Country

The PP's aggressive rhetoric against the PNV is part of a broader strategy to court disaffected centre-right voters in the Basque Country. By framing the PNV as complicit in sustaining a 'corrupt' government, the PP aims to erode the nationalist party's traditional support. Tellado's appearance in Bilbao, flanked by local PP leaders Esther Martínez and Amaya Fernández, underscored the party's intent to make inroads in a region where it has historically struggled, leveraging national anti-corruption sentiment for regional gain.