Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez remains unyielding against the growing pile of corruption charges that have reached his household — and are increasing the political risks for his Socialist Party heading into an election year.

A Madrid judge on Saturday ordered the premier’s wife to stand trial on influence-peddling charges and to surrender her passport. Two days later, the Supreme Court sentenced one of Sanchez’s closest allies to 24 years in prison in a bribery scandal. His brother and an influential confidant, ex-Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, have been caught up in the legal web, and authorities have launched an investigation into an alleged operation within the Socialists to counter judges and police officers examining the party.

But because Sanchez has almost absolute control over the party and Spanish law makes no-confidence votes virtually impossible, his opponents — including both former friends and longtime foes — have few ways to dislodge him. There’s also a potential political tailwind from Western Europe’s fastest-growing economy.

“Sánchez is the Socialist Party’s greatest asset,” Rebeca Torró, a senior party manager, said in a text message. “Spain is experiencing one of its best periods in decades, thanks to his leadership and the collective effort of the entire country.”

Still, the drumbeat of corruption allegations has taken an electoral toll. Since December, the Socialists have lost all four regional elections, including its worst result since the restoration of democracy in Andalusia, the country’s most populous region and once a Socialist stronghold.

A recent 40dB poll for El País gave the opposition People’s Party a lead of almost 5 percentage points over the Socialists, who were down about 5 points from their 2023 election result.

“This is the moment of greatest risk for the Socialist Party in the entire democratic era,” Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha and one of its few dissenting voices, said recently.

García-Page, the only Socialist regional chief to speak out against Sanchez, says the premier should call an election before the next regional and local contests - now scheduled for May 2027. For García-Page, an early election might minimize damage to the Socialist party while casting his nemesis Sanchez out of office.

“We have to put Spain’s interests above the interests of the Socialist Party,” he told reporters.

At Moncloa Palace, the debate is academic as Sanchez has no interest in bowing to “deceitful opposition that has nothing to offer citizens except maneuvering, noise and insinuations, and the corruption charges are politically motivated,” he said in a statement to reporters on June 5 before a European leaders’ summit.

In contrast to other countries, a no-confidence motion in Spain requires backing for an alternative candidate who automatically becomes prime minister. And although Sánchez has lost the support of parties essential for passing legislation, the conservative People’s Party and far-right Vox lack the numbers to replace him.

The result has been a legislative dead end. The government has not passed a new budget during this term and continues to operate under an extended budget negotiated at the end of 2022.

That hasn’t stemmed recent economic and stock-market gains. Spain’s economy grew 2.6% last year, outpacing the European Union average, bolstered by tourism and exports and a surge in migration. The benchmark Ibex 35 index has more than doubled in the last three years and is outperforming most European peers so far this year. It was the best performing country index among Europe’s main markets in 2025.

In the absence of a no-confidence motion, only an internal revolt among the Socialists could force a leadership change. But rebels such as Garcia-Page remain a tiny minority within the party.

Sánchez’s opponents believe whatever the timing, the political environment is shifting in their favor. In 2023, the combined parliamentary representation of the People’s Party and Vox fell just four seats short of a majority in the 350-member lower house and that was before the corruption allegations.

Even so, the opposition has learned not to underestimate Sánchez. The prime minister points to strong economic performance, advances in social rights and his feuding with the unpopular Donald Trump as evidence that his government can retain public support.

And in politics, anything can happen. As if by a miracle earlier this month, judicial cases slipped from the forefront of public debate when Pope Leo XIV stopped by.

The Chicago-born pontiff broadly agreed with Sanchez’s positions on the Iran war and migration. For a moment, at least, Socialists had reason to believe that not all is lost.

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