Pedro Sánchez

Pedro Sánchez
Born	Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón 29 2, 1972
Birthplace	Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Occupation	Politician, economist
Title	Prime Minister of Spain
Known for	Prime Minister of Spain (2018–present); Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Education	PhD in Economics
Awards	Salvador Allende Medal

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician and economist who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since June 2018. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he has served as the party's Secretary-General since July 2017, having previously held the position from 2014 to 2016. He has also served as the ninth president of Socialist International since 2022. Sánchez first entered public life as a city councillor in Madrid in 2004 before winning election to the Congress of Deputies in 2009. His path to power was marked by internal party struggles — he resigned as PSOE leader in 2016 amid factional disputes, only to reclaim the position months later in a dramatic comeback. He ascended to the premiership after successfully leading a motion of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy in June 2018, a move supported by a broad alliance of left-wing, regionalist, and nationalist parties. Since then, Sánchez has led Spain through a series of consequential political moments, including two general elections in 2019, the formation of the country's first coalition government since its return to democracy, and a snap election in 2023 that resulted in his appointment to a third term. As prime minister, his government has pursued policies on immigration reform, digital regulation, and social policy that have drawn both domestic and international attention.

Early Life

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón was born on 29 February 1972 in Madrid, Spain. Born on a leap day, he is one of the relatively few prominent political figures with this unusual birth date. He grew up in Madrid and was raised in a middle-class family. Details about his parents and early childhood remain limited in publicly available sources.

As a young man in Madrid, Sánchez developed interests in both academics and athletics. He is known to have played basketball in his youth, standing at approximately 1.90 metres (6 feet 3 inches) tall. His formative years in the Spanish capital shaped his political outlook, and he became involved with the PSOE at a relatively young age, joining the party and its youth wing.

Sánchez began his political career in local government. In August 2004, he was appointed as a city councillor in Madrid, marking his first formal entry into elected politics. This period of local political engagement provided him with foundational experience in governance and party organisation that would prove instrumental in his later career at the national level.

Education

Sánchez pursued advanced studies in economics, ultimately obtaining a doctorate (PhD) in the discipline. His academic background distinguished him among Spanish political leaders and informed his policy positions, particularly on economic matters. He has authored academic and political works, including La nueva diplomacia económica española (The New Spanish Economic Diplomacy), published during his earlier career.

He later wrote Manual de resistencia (A Manual of Resistance), a political memoir published in 2019 that recounted his experiences during the internal PSOE struggles of 2016–2017 and his return to the party leadership. However, his academic writing also attracted controversy; in September 2018, the Spanish newspaper ABC reported that his doctoral thesis contained passages reproduced from six different texts without proper citation, totalling 161 lines and 1,651 words.

Career

Rise Within the PSOE (2004–2014)

Sánchez's political career began at the municipal level when he became a city councillor in Madrid in August 2004. He spent several years building his profile within the PSOE's internal structures and gaining experience in local governance. In 2009, he was elected to the Congress of Deputies, Spain's lower house of parliament, marking his transition to national politics. As a member of Congress, he participated in legislative work and increased his visibility within the party.

During this period, the PSOE was navigating significant challenges, including the aftermath of the Great Recession and growing public discontent with the political establishment. The party suffered a major electoral defeat in 2011, losing power to the People's Party (PP) under Mariano Rajoy. This loss set the stage for a generational shift within the PSOE's leadership ranks.

Secretary-General and Leader of the Opposition (2014–2016)

In 2014, Sánchez was elected Secretary-General of the PSOE, a position that also made him the Leader of the Opposition in the Congress of Deputies. His election represented a desire within parts of the party for renewal and a fresh face to compete against both the ruling People's Party and the emerging left-wing movement Podemos, which was drawing support from voters who had previously backed the PSOE and other left-leaning parties.

As party leader, Sánchez took positions on European affairs. During the 2014 European Parliament proceedings, the Spanish Socialists voted against the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission, as well as against the candidacy of Spanish conservative Miguel Arias Cañete for a Commission portfolio.

Sánchez led the PSOE through two inconclusive general elections — in December 2015 and June 2016 — during a period of unprecedented political fragmentation in Spain. The rise of Podemos on the left and Ciudadanos on the centre-right had broken the traditional two-party dynamic that had characterised Spanish politics since the transition to democracy. Neither election produced a clear majority, and coalition negotiations proved difficult.

Following the June 2016 election, internal tensions within the PSOE escalated into a full-blown leadership crisis. A faction within the party's executive committee pushed for Sánchez to resign, arguing that his refusal to allow Rajoy to form a government was damaging the party and the country. Sánchez resigned as Secretary-General shortly afterward, marking what appeared at the time to be the end of his leadership of the party.

Return to PSOE Leadership (2017)

Sánchez's departure from the PSOE leadership proved temporary. In a leadership election held in 2017, he staged a remarkable political comeback, defeating internal rivals Susana Díaz, then the president of the regional government of Andalusia, and Patxi López, the former lehendakari (president) of the Basque Country. His victory was secured through a direct vote of the party membership, bypassing much of the party establishment that had favoured Díaz. Sánchez was re-elected as Secretary-General of the PSOE in July 2017, consolidating his control over the party and positioning himself once again as the principal opposition figure in Spanish politics.

He later recounted this period of political upheaval and his return in his memoir Manual de resistencia, published in 2019.

Prime Minister: First Term (2018–2019)

On 1 June 2018, the PSOE tabled a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, triggered by a major corruption scandal involving the People's Party. The motion succeeded with the support of Unidas Podemos and various regionalist and nationalist parties, including Basque and Catalan formations. Sánchez was appointed prime minister by King Felipe VI the following day, becoming the head of a minority government without having first won a general election.

Upon taking office, the new government signalled that it would prioritise social policy while refraining from pursuing deep structural economic reforms during what was expected to be a brief initial period in power.

One of the early foreign policy challenges of the Sánchez government was the question of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In September 2018, workers at the Navantia shipyard staged protests over fears that a naval contract with Saudi Arabia could be cancelled amid growing international scrutiny of the Saudi government's human rights record, particularly following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The government ultimately argued that the need to preserve jobs justified the continuation of the arms sales.

In the realm of international relations, Sánchez received the Salvador Allende Medal during a visit to Latin America in August 2018, reflecting his engagement with left-leaning governments and movements in the region. During the same trip, his brother's connections with political figures in Bolivia were reported by Spanish media.

The Sánchez government also engaged with the ongoing Catalan independence movement. In October 2018, the government held discussions about the political situation in Catalonia, with Sánchez seeking to navigate between upholding constitutional order and pursuing dialogue with Catalan political leaders.

General Elections of 2019 and Coalition Government

Sánchez called a general election for April 2019 after his minority government failed to pass its budget. The PSOE gained 38 seats compared to the 2016 election, marking the party's first national electoral victory since 2008. However, the PSOE fell short of a parliamentary majority. When subsequent negotiations to form a government collapsed, Sánchez called another general election for November 2019.

In the second election of 2019, Sánchez again led the PSOE to the most votes, though the party lost some seats compared to April. Following the November election, Sánchez reached a coalition agreement with Unidas Podemos, led by Pablo Iglesias, who became Second Deputy Prime Minister. This marked the formation of Spain's first national coalition government since the country's return to democracy following the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. Carmen Calvo served as First Deputy Prime Minister in this government.

In the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament elections, Sánchez articulated his vision for Europe, warning against threats to the European project from populist and nationalist movements. "If Europe is to protect us, we need to protect Europe," he stated in remarks reported by European media.

Third Term (2023–present)

After the PSOE suffered significant losses in regional and municipal elections in May 2023, Sánchez called a snap general election. Despite the PSOE finishing second behind the People's Party in the July 2023 election, the PP was unable to form a government. Sánchez was able to assemble a parliamentary majority through agreements with various smaller parties, and was appointed to a third term as Prime Minister on 17 November 2023.

During his third term, Sánchez has pursued several prominent policy initiatives. In February 2026, the government announced plans to ban social media use for children under the age of 16, with Sánchez stating that the measure was intended to protect children from the "digital Wild West." The proposal drew a sharp response from Elon Musk, who called Sánchez a "tyrant" on social media. Spain and Greece jointly proposed the teenage social media bans, reflecting a broader European trend toward stricter regulation of technology platforms.

In early 2026, Sánchez also defended his government's plans to regularise approximately half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain, stating that the country was choosing a path of "dignity, community and justice." He elaborated on the rationale for this policy in an opinion article published in The New York Times in February 2026, arguing that Western nations require immigration to sustain their economies and societies.

In February 2026, on the 45th anniversary of Spain's 23-F failed coup attempt, Sánchez announced that the government would release classified documents related to the 1981 events, describing the move as settling a historical "debt."

Personal Life

Pedro Sánchez is married to Begoña Gómez. The couple's relationship has occasionally attracted public and legal scrutiny. In April 2024, a Spanish judge opened an investigation to determine whether Gómez had exploited her position as the prime minister's spouse for private advantage. In February 2026, a Spanish court annulled the jury trial that had been set for Gómez, although the broader investigation into the allegations of corruption continued. Sánchez himself publicly addressed the investigation, and the matter became a significant political issue in Spain, with opposition parties seeking to use it against the government.

Sánchez is noted for his tall stature and has been described in international media coverage as "soft-spoken."

Recognition

In August 2018, Sánchez received the Salvador Allende Medal during a visit to Latin America, an honour recognising political figures associated with progressive and social democratic causes.

In 2022, Sánchez was elected as the ninth president of Socialist International, the worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist, and labour parties. This role has given him a prominent platform in international centre-left politics beyond his national position.

By early 2026, Sánchez had attracted significant international media attention as one of the few left-leaning heads of government in Western Europe. The New Statesman profiled him as a figure whose international profile had surged as the leader of what the publication characterised as "the West's most progressive government," noting his status as a rare European leader who had engaged directly with issues of migration, digital regulation, and social reform from a centre-left perspective.

His government's proposal to ban social media for minors and the plan to regularise undocumented migrants generated substantial coverage across international outlets including the BBC, Reuters, The Guardian, and The New York Times, reflecting the degree to which his policy agenda had become a reference point in broader European and transatlantic debates.

Legacy

As of 2026, Pedro Sánchez has served as Prime Minister of Spain for over seven years, making him one of the longer-serving heads of government in recent Spanish history. His political career has been defined by several notable developments.

Sánchez's return to the PSOE leadership in 2017 after having been forced out in 2016 represented an unusual case of a party leader successfully reclaiming power through a direct appeal to the party membership over the heads of the internal establishment. His memoir Manual de resistencia documented this period and became a reference point for understanding the internal dynamics of the PSOE during a transformative era in Spanish politics.

The formation of a coalition government with Unidas Podemos following the November 2019 election was a significant departure in Spanish politics. Spain had been governed exclusively by single-party governments since the restoration of democracy, and the creation of a multi-party cabinet represented a structural shift in how the country was governed. This coalition model has continued in various forms through Sánchez's subsequent terms.

His government's engagement with issues of immigration, digital regulation of minors, and the declassification of historical documents about the 23-F coup attempt reflect a governing agenda that has drawn both domestic support and opposition. The ongoing investigation into his wife Begoña Gómez has added a personal dimension to the political controversies surrounding his premiership.

Sánchez's position as one of the few centre-left leaders in power across Western Europe during the mid-2020s has given him an outsized role in European political debates, particularly on questions of migration policy and technology regulation.