Pedro Sánchez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Sánchez
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Sánchez in 2024
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| Assumed office 2 June 2018 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Deputy | Several Deputy Prime Ministers |
| Preceded by | Mariano Rajoy |
| President of the Socialist International | |
| Assumed office 25 November 2022 |
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| Secretary General | Benedicta Lasi |
| Preceded by | George Papandreou |
| Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
| Assumed office 17 June 2017 |
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| President | Cristina Narbona |
| Deputy | Adriana Lastra María Jesús Montero |
| Preceded by | Caretaker committee |
| In office 26 July 2014 – 1 October 2016 |
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| President | Micaela Navarro |
| Preceded by | Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba |
| Succeeded by | Caretaker committee |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 18 June 2017 – 2 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Pablo Casado |
| In office 26 July 2014 – 1 October 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2019 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| In office 10 January 2013 – 29 October 2016 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| In office 15 September 2009 – 27 September 2011 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Member of the City Council of Madrid | |
| In office 18 May 2004 – 15 September 2009 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón
29 February 1972 Madrid, Spain |
| Political party | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party |
| Spouse |
Begoña Gómez
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Real Centro Universitario Escorial-Maria Christina Complutense University of Madrid Université Libre de Bruxelles IESE Business School Camilo José Cela University |
| Signature |  |
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician. He has been the Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He is also the leader, or Secretary-General, of the PSOE. He held this position from 2014 to 2016 and again since 2017. In 2022, he was also chosen as the President of the Socialist International.
Sánchez started his political journey in 2004 as a city council member in Madrid. He was then elected to the Congress of Deputies in 2009. In 2014, he became the leader of the PSOE, which made him the Leader of the Opposition. He led his party through two general elections in 2015 and 2016. After disagreements within his party in 2016, he resigned as Secretary-General. However, he was re-elected in a leadership vote just eight months later.
On 1 June 2018, the PSOE proposed a vote of no confidence against then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. They succeeded with support from other parties. The next day, King Felipe VI appointed Sánchez as prime minister. He led the PSOE to win more seats in the April 2019 election, their first national victory since 2008. Although they did not win a majority, Sánchez later formed a coalition government with Unidas Podemos after the November 2019 election. This was Spain's first national coalition government since it became a democracy again.
After his party lost many seats in regional elections in May 2023, Sánchez called a quick general election. The PSOE kept all its seats, even though they came in second. Sánchez was able to form another coalition government and began his third term as Prime Minister on 17 November 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón was born in 1972 in Madrid. His parents, Pedro Sánchez Fernández and Magdalena Pérez-Castejón, were well-off. His father worked in public administration and later owned a company. His mother worked in social security and later became a lawyer, even graduating from the same university as her son.
Pedro grew up in the Tetuán area of Madrid. He went to Colegio Santa Cristina and then Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu. In high school, he played basketball for the Estudiantes youth team. As a teenager, he also spent time in Dublin, Ireland, to learn English.
In 1993, Sánchez joined the PSOE political party. He earned a degree from the Real Centro Universitario Escorial-Maria Christina in 1995. After graduating, he worked for a global consulting firm in New York City.
In 1998, Sánchez moved to Brussels. He worked for the PSOE's group in the European Parliament. He also worked for the United Nations. While working, he earned a second degree in Politics and Economics from the Université libre de Bruxelles in 1998. He also studied business leadership at IESE Business School and earned a diploma in EU Monetary Integration. In 2012, Sánchez received his doctorate in Economics from Camilo José Cela University, where he also taught.
Political Career
Starting in Madrid
In 2003, Sánchez ran for the Madrid City Council as a PSOE candidate. He didn't win a seat at first, but joined the council a year later when two other councillors resigned. He quickly became a trusted helper to Trinidad Jiménez, a local PSOE leader.
In 2005, he helped with a political campaign in Galicia. This campaign helped the PSdG, a sister party of PSOE, win enough seats for their leader to become President of Galicia. While serving as a Madrid City Councillor, Sánchez also taught economics at the Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) starting in 2008.
Sánchez was later elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies for Madrid in 2009. This was to replace a retiring politician. However, his first time in Congress was short. In the 2011 general election, the PSOE lost many seats, and Sánchez lost his own.
After losing his seat, he went back to UCJC to study for his doctorate in Economics. He earned his PhD 18 months later. In 2018, there were questions about whether parts of his doctorate were copied from other works. Sánchez denied this and published his full thesis online.
In January 2013, Sánchez returned to Congress, again representing Madrid. In December 2013, he published a book about new policy ideas. Many important PSOE figures attended the book launch, and people started to see him as a possible future leader of the party.
Becoming Leader of the Opposition
After the PSOE leader, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, resigned in 2014, Sánchez decided to run for the leadership. He launched his campaign on 12 June 2014. On 13 July, he was elected as PSOE Secretary-General, winning 49% of the votes. He officially became Secretary-General on 26 July, which also made him the Leader of the Opposition.
Sánchez promised to renew politics in Spain. He suggested changing the constitution to make Spain a federal country. This was to help Catalonia stay within Spain. He also wanted new tax policies, to expand social welfare, and to help labor unions grow. He aimed to win back voters who were unhappy with previous Socialist governments.
When Sánchez became leader, a new left-wing party called Podemos became popular. Many PSOE supporters were thinking of switching to Podemos. Sánchez responded by pushing his federal model for Spain and calling for a more secular education system.
On 21 June 2015, Sánchez was officially announced as the PSOE candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election. In the election on 20 December, the PSOE won 90 seats, coming in second place after the People's Party (PP), which won 123 seats. Since the PP couldn't form a government, King Felipe VI asked Sánchez to try. However, Sánchez couldn't get enough support to form a coalition. This led to another general election in June 2016, where the PSOE lost more seats and remained second to the PP.
Resignation and Return
After the 2016 election, Sánchez believed the PSOE should not allow the PP to form a government. Susana Díaz, a regional leader, criticized Sánchez, saying his firm stance was hurting the party. After poor results for the PSOE in regional elections in September 2016, many party members called for Sánchez to resign.
This led to a major party crisis. Sánchez called for a special party meeting to resolve the issue. In response, half of the PSOE's executive committee resigned. On 1 October 2016, Sánchez lost a vote within the party to support his plans for the meeting. He immediately resigned as Secretary-General. An interim committee took over until a new leader could be chosen.
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Soon after Sánchez resigned, the PSOE interim committee decided to allow the PP to form a government by not voting against them. Sánchez said he could not follow this order because it would mean "betraying his word." He then resigned his seat in the Congress of Deputies and announced he would run in the upcoming leadership election.
After resigning, Sánchez began a national tour, driving his own car to visit party members across Spain. He ran an energetic campaign, criticizing the interim committee. On 21 May 2017, Sánchez was re-elected as Secretary-General by the party members, winning 50.2% of the vote. His position was confirmed on 17 June, and the next day he was confirmed as Leader of the Opposition, even though he no longer held a seat in Congress.
As Leader of the Opposition, Sánchez joined Mariano Rajoy in opposing the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. He supported the Spanish Government's decision to take direct control of Catalonia in October 2017 after the crisis.
In 2017 and 2018, the Gürtel trial caused problems for the Rajoy Government. After important verdicts were announced in May 2018, Sánchez announced that the PSOE would propose a motion of no confidence against Rajoy. Under Spanish law, such motions must also propose a new prime minister. So, the PSOE nominated Sánchez. He worked with other political parties and got enough support to pass the motion. On 1 June 2018, 180 members of Congress supported the motion, which was more than the 176 needed. This led to Rajoy's resignation and Sánchez becoming the new prime minister.
Prime Minister of Spain (2018–Present)
First Term in Office
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Sánchez officially became Prime Minister of Spain on 2 June 2018. He said he would form a short-term government. His goals included increasing unemployment benefits and proposing a law to ensure equal pay for men and women. He also said he would keep the 2018 budget that the Rajoy Government had already passed. This was a condition for the Basque Nationalist Party to support the no-confidence motion. Sánchez also promised to only propose new laws if they had strong support in parliament. He also confirmed his government would follow the EU's budget rules.
When Sánchez took his oath of office, no Bible or crucifix was used. This was a first in modern Spanish history, as Sánchez is an atheist.
Domestic Policy
On 18 June 2018, Sánchez's government announced it would remove the remains of former dictator Francisco Franco from the Valley of the Fallen. After a year of legal discussions with Franco's family, his remains were moved on 24 October 2019. Franco was reburied at Mingorrubio Cemetery.
After the 2019 sentencing of Catalonian independence leaders, Sánchez supported the court's decision. He said there would be no pardon, and the sentences should be fully served. However, in 2021, Sánchez did grant a partial pardon to most of the convicted leaders. He emphasized that despite the pardon, there would never be a vote for Catalonia's independence. His government stated that "dialogue, coexistence, and the capacity for reunion" were important for the Catalan conflict.
Following the 2023 general election, the Congress of Deputies passed a law to pardon those involved in the Catalan independence movement between 2011 and 2023. This law was a requirement for Sánchez to form his 2023 government.
Foreign Policy
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Sánchez became very active in international affairs, especially within the European Union. He said that "Spain has to claim its role" and called himself "a militant pro-European." In a speech to the European Parliament in January 2019, he said the EU should be protected and become a global leader. He also stressed the need for a more social Europe with a strong currency. He stated in March 2019 that Europe's enemies are "inside of the European Union."
In September 2018, the Defence Minister cancelled sales of bombs to Saudi Arabia due to concerns about the conflict in Yemen. However, Sánchez ordered the sale to go ahead. This was reportedly to protect jobs in Spanish shipyards that depended on the contract. After the killing of a Saudi journalist in October 2018, Sánchez defended continuing arms sales to Saudi Arabia. He insisted his government had a "responsibility" to protect jobs in the arms industry.
Second Term in Office
Under Sánchez's leadership, Congress approved a national budget of 196 billion euros in 2021. This was the largest budget in Spain's history. He gained support from the Catalan pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia to pass it.
After the fall of Kabul in 2021, Sánchez offered Spain as a place for Afghans who had helped the European Union. These Afghans would later be settled in various countries. The Spanish Government set up a temporary refugee camp at Torrejón de Ardoz air base. EU officials, including President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel, visited the camp. Von der Leyen praised Spain's actions as "a good example of the European soul at its best." US President Joe Biden also spoke with Sánchez to use military bases in Spain for Afghan refugees.
Sánchez strongly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and showed Spain's full support for Ukraine.
In August 2022, during a visit to Serbia, Sánchez confirmed that Spain does not recognize the independence of Kosovo.
COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, on 13 March 2020, Sánchez announced a national state of alarm. This was only the second time in Spain's democratic history and the first time for such a long period. The government agreed to a nationwide lockdown. This banned all non-essential trips and allowed the government to intervene in companies to ensure supplies. In July 2021, the Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that part of the state of alarm, which limited freedom of movement, was unconstitutional.
Third Term in Office
After the PSOE lost many seats in regional and local elections in May 2023, Sánchez surprised many by calling a quick general election for 23 July. He said it was important to listen to the people. He also stressed the need to continue economic recovery plans after COVID-19 and prevent a government formed by the PP and Vox.
In the election, the PP gained seats and finished first. However, the PSOE gained one seat, and Vox lost many. This meant that PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo could not form a government. After Congress rejected Feijóo's attempt in September 2023, King Felipe VI asked Sánchez to form a government. Sánchez got support from the left-wing Sumar alliance and several pro-independence and regional parties. The Congress of Deputies re-elected Sánchez as Prime Minister on 16 November 2023. He officially began his third term the next day, which led to some protests.
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After weeks of political tension, Sánchez agreed to a law that would pardon Catalan pro-independence politicians. This was for events related to the 2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis and the 2019–2020 Catalan protests. With this support, he was re-elected as prime minister on 16 November 2023. Sánchez's re-election and the proposed amnesty law caused protests.
Sánchez has criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. He promised to work with Europe and Spain to recognize the Palestinian state. Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024, working with Ireland and Norway. On 6 June 2024, Spain joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel. At a summit in July 2024, Sánchez urged NATO members to be consistent in applying international law to both Ukraine and Gaza.
On 24 April 2024, Sánchez announced he was thinking about resigning. This was because his wife, Begoña Gómez, was being investigated for alleged influence peddling. He said it was part of an effort by right-wing media to wear him down. Some media noted that the accusations against his wife were based on news headlines and fake news. On 29 April, Sánchez announced he would not resign. He said he would fight "even harder" as prime minister.
Sánchez has supported legal immigration to Spain. He sees it as a way to help the economy grow and support Spain's social welfare system. On 9 October 2024, Sánchez asked the European Parliament to quickly put in place a new plan for migration and asylum. This was to help with the migration crisis in the Canary Islands, where many migrants had arrived.
On 3 November 2024, Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and a regional president were met with anger during a visit to people affected by the October 2024 Spain floods. People threw mud and objects at them, injuring two bodyguards.
Ideology
In 2014, Sánchez ran for PSOE Secretary-General with a "centrist" and "social liberal" approach. Later, in his successful 2017 campaign to regain leadership, he moved further left. He spoke about a "re-foundation of social democracy" and moving towards a "post-capitalist society," ending "neoliberal capitalism." A key idea in his 2019 book, Manual de Resistencia, is the strong connection between "social democracy" and "Europe."
Sánchez supports the European Green Deal and the shift to green energy. He has also called for a federal European Union.
Personal Life
Sánchez married Begoña Gómez in 2006, and they have two daughters. Their civil wedding was led by Trinidad Jiménez. Sánchez is an atheist.
Besides Spanish, Sánchez speaks fluent English and French. He is the first Spanish Prime Minister to be fluent in English while in office. Before the transition to democracy in the mid-1970s, foreign languages were not widely taught in Spanish schools. Because of this, many former Prime Ministers struggled with foreign languages.
Images for kids
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Pedro Sánchez's signature.
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Pedro Sánchez in 2024.
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Sánchez, after winning re-election as Secretary-General, singing The Internationale.
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Rajoy congratulates Sánchez on his successful no-confidence motion.
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Sánchez and his Cabinet at La Moncloa in June 2018.
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Protests in Spain in 2023.
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Sánchez with President of the European Council Charles Michel, 5 February 2020.
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Sánchez with U.S. President Joe Biden in Madrid, Spain, 28 June 2022.
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Sánchez with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 17 July 2023.
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Sánchez announcing the state of alarm on 13 March 2020.
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Sánchez with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2023.
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Sánchez with Catalonia's President Pere Aragonès in December 2023.
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Sánchez with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Jerusalem, Israel, 23 November 2023.
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Sánchez with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, China, 30 March 2023.
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Sánchez and Minister for Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera at the 2018 UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland.
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See also
In Spanish: Pedro Sánchez para niños
