Pedro Sánchez

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (born 29 February 1972, Madrid) is the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and Prime Minister of Spain. He first became Prime Minister on 2 June 2018 after a successful motion of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy of the People's Party (PP), triggered by the Gürtel corruption case rulings. He had previously led the PSOE since 2014, was ousted by an internal revolt in October 2016, and reclaimed the party leadership in May 2017 through a membership primary.

Sánchez holds a degree in economics and a doctorate from the Camilo José Cela University. Before entering national politics, he served as a Madrid city councillor and as a PSOE deputy in the Congress of Deputies.

His governments have been notable for their reliance on parliamentary support from smaller left-wing and regionalist forces. After the November 2019 general election, he formed Spain's first national coalition government since the return of democracy, partnering with Unidas Podemos. Following the July 2023 election, he was reinvested in November 2023 with backing from Sumar and pro-independence Catalan and Basque parties, including Junts per Catalunya, in exchange for a controversial amnesty law covering acts linked to the 2017 Catalan independence push.

Key policy moves under his tenure include:

• The 2021 labour market reform negotiated with unions and employers.
• Exhumation of Francisco Franco from the Valley of the Fallen in October 2019.
• The 2022 Democratic Memory Law.
• Strong backing for EU NextGenerationEU recovery funds and Spain's 2023 Council of the EU presidency.
• Continued support for Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion and NATO's Madrid Summit in June 2022.

His foreign policy has also included a 2022 shift recognising Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, straining relations with Algeria, and Spain's May 2024 recognition of the State of Palestine alongside Ireland and Norway.