The proceedings were announced on Thursday following a complaint by the opposition People’s Party (PP), which argued that Sánchez used government facilities to deliver messages resembling election campaigning, Reuters reported.
The electoral board requested that the statements be removed from official government channels and instructed Sánchez to refrain from similar actions during the campaign period, according to parliament’s press office.
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The case concerns a press conference held on October 6 after a cabinet meeting. It comes after Sánchez called a snap election for November 29 following the failure of housing decrees to pass through parliament.
The proceedings place renewed scrutiny on how public officials use government platforms and resources during election campaigns. Such complaints often centre on whether incumbents have used official events to promote their political positions rather than communicate government business.
Sánchez has previously faced electoral sanctions over similar issues. In January 2020, the Central Electoral Board fined him €500 over a television interview published on the government’s website.
In October 2023, the board imposed a €2,200 fine on Sánchez over remarks made at a press conference in Brussels during the campaign for Spain’s July 23 general election. It found that he had praised his government’s achievements and criticised political opponents.
Carlos Fernández Carriedo, a spokesperson for a regional government led by the People’s Party, was also fined €2,200 in 2023 over comments made during a post-cabinet press conference.
The latest proceedings do not in themselves establish that Sánchez has committed an electoral violation. The case will determine whether his remarks breached rules governing the use of official communications during the campaign.
