The Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Pedro Sánchez, has asked for the immediate resignation of the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, after he declared as a witness in the Gürtel corruption case on Wednesday.
Sánchez has alleged that Rajoy's declaration as a witness has damaged the international image of Spain, shown that “corruption has reached up to the presidency”, and has asked for him to resign.
“The image of the president declaring in front of the judges will remain in the retina of all Spaniards and it summarises six years of an irresponsible government with the corruption,” said Sánchez, adding that it was a “black day in the history of our democracy".
Moreover, Sánchez stated that “a president of the government has to be a reference point, especially a moral one, for the society as a whole”. He added that “the plots of corruption affecting the Popular Party (PP) have left a stain on the international projection of Spain”.
The leader of the PSOE also addressed Rajoy directly, asking him to consider presenting "his resignation this same Wednesday". In a series of direct messages, Sánchez asked him to think of the future of Spaniards and of the future of a Spain without corruption. “A president interrogated in a corruption case is really the person who can free Spain from it?" Sánchez asked.