Pedro Sánchez: "I apologise to the citizens. We should never have trusted Santos Cerdán"
Pedro Sánchez, president of the Spanish government and secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), appeared at 5.30pm at the party's headquarters in Calle Ferraz, in Madrid, hours after it became known that the secretary of organisation of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, had resigned from all his posts following the broadcast of an audio in which he is heard talking to the former minister of transport, José Luis Ábalos, and his former adviser, Koldo García, about money owed to them by companies contracted for public works.
Appearance by Pedro Sánchez
President Pedro Sánchez appeared and responded to the media for 25 minutes in what was Pedro Sánchez's first appearance as President of the Government at the party's headquarters since he took office in 2019.
"This morning we received the report and these indications have come to light, which are very serious, and that is why this afternoon I have asked for the resignation of Santos Cerdán," he said.
"I am doing this to apologise. I was sure of Santos Cerdán's integrity. There were rumours about alleged investigations, but there was really no proof of Santos Cerdán's involvement in the Koldo affair," he said.
The President of the Government and Secretary General of the PSOE, Pedro Sánchez, has stated that "the reason for this meeting is to explain himself after learning of the Guardia Civil's report on the disorder investigating Ábalos and Koldo García".
Pedro Sánchez presents himself at Ferraz: "I apologise to the public"
Sánchez has therefore apologised once again to the public. "I have always been committed to the fight against corruption, both in my government and in my party. It generates great indignation and sadness in me".
Sánchez also announced in his speech that an external audit of the party's finances will be carried out and that he himself will push for a restructuring of the commission. "We should not have trusted him", said the president of the government about his hitherto secretary of organisation in the PSOE, Santos Cerdán.
Sánchez on Santos Cerdán: "We should not have trusted him"
"My responsibility is to make decisions regarding the organisation, the external audit and the restructuring of the Federal Executive Committee", he said.
"Despite the great disappointment, the response will be firm", added the secretary general of the PSOE, who mentioned that Cerdán "has provided him with his explanations and it is not my role to judge them".
Sánchez: "Despite the great disappointment, the response will be firm"
"The reality is that, although it may sound cliché, there are organisations that act and respond, and there are others that hide and protect," he said, directing direct criticism at the Popular Party. "They persecuted the police who investigated their corruption", he said. On early elections: "There won't be any until 2027".
"I have known Santos Cerdán since 2014, he has been until today my secretary of Organisation and previously worked in other roles. Regardless of the judicial development of the report that we have learned about, the evidence in this regard is a great disappointment," said Sánchez.
Sánchez on the possibility of early elections: "There won't be any until 2027"
"This is a serious organisation", he repeated. "The primaries in the PSOE have guarantees," he said. Furthermore, Sánchez emphasises that, until this morning, when he received the UCO report, he believed that all of Santos Cerdán's explanations were "true". "I have not made a decision and I don't know what kind of changes I will make, but I will make them," he responded to questions about who could take over the PSOE's Secretariat of Organisation.
The President of the Government stressed that with this statement in Ferraz he sought to "convey to the citizens the certainty that the Government of Spain will continue to work on its transformation agenda and to apologise for this great disappointment".
Sánchez on the alleged two rigged votes: "The primary processes have absolute guarantees"
"I want to remember that in 2014 and in 2016 more than 130,000 voted and in 2014 I won by more than 17,000 votes. The primary processes are processes with absolute guarantee." "That WhatsApp, in which there is talk of two votes, I am very disappointed, but the guarantees of these processes are total. This is a serious organisation.
Sánchez reiterates his apologies: "I am sorry for this great disappointment"
"I think that, regardless of the response we offer today, we are not only separating what appear to be certain cases from others that could be relevant due to the evidence presented, and the way the PSOE reacts," Sánchez commented, referring to the Leire Díez affair and the "hoaxes" attacking his party. Finally, the Prime Minister makes a distinction between evidence and "hoaxes" about the PSOE.
UCO report
The communications in the 490-page UCO report were contained in an encrypted document that was seized from Koldo's home during the first phase of Operation Delorme in February 2024.
This morning, Santos Cerdán has affirmed that he did not participate in illegal concessions, has indicated that he will appear voluntarily before the Supreme Court and has promised that he will "provide all kinds of clarifications".
A few minutes before four o'clock in the afternoon, he announced his resignation as PSOE Secretary of Organisation and his departure from Congress in a statement that does not bear the party's logo. A message that appears in the report of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Guardia Civil also mentions that Cerdán instructed Koldo to manipulate votes in the PSOE primaries won by Sánchez.
The full letter from Santos Cerdán
Being Secretary of Organisation of the PSOE has been the greatest privilege of my life. It is an honour that will always be with me. That, and to have helped to shape a progressive government that has led Spain to its highest levels of growth, employment and rights. And all this despite the adversities, of which there have been many.
Precisely for this reason, in defence of this party to which this country owes so much, and of this Government, I have decided to resign from all my posts. I will also hand in my parliamentary seat.
I hope to be able to devote myself exclusively to my defence, and to offer all the relevant explanations to demonstrate that, as I have been pointing out in recent days, I have never committed any illegal act, nor have I been an accomplice to any.
This morning I have been notified of the Order issued by His Excellency the Magistrate of the Supreme Court, in which I am offered the possibility of testifying voluntarily on 25 June. In my full willingness to cooperate with the justice system, I will appear on that day to clarify all the questions that may arise.
I will ask my legal advisors to appear in the judicial proceedings to study all the actions carried out, and especially the reports in which I am mentioned, with the aim and confidence of being in a position to clear up any doubts about the references to me.
These are complicated times, but the PSOE is more necessary than ever.
And I will always do what is best for my party, and for my country.
I reiterate my innocence and I trust that my innocence will be clear after my statement.
