Pedro Sánchez Makes His Last Gamble
Pedro Sánchez’s coalition won reelection in 2023 based on a real record of measures to rein in the cost of living. Pulling off the same trick now may be much harder, after three years of institutional inertia.
92 Article(s) by: Eoghan Gilmartin
Eoghan Gilmartin is a writer, translator, and Jacobin contributor based in Madrid.
Filmed in Western Sahara, The Odyssey Endorses Colonialism
For five decades, Morocco has illegally occupied Western Sahara. The shooting of part of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in the territory, backed by state subsidies, serves a far-reaching effort to normalize Morocco’s colonial rule.
For Pedro Sánchez, Europe Has to Leave the US’s Shadow
Spain’s Premier Pedro Sánchez has emerged as a sharp critic of Donald Trump. But he's also pushed for a broader realignment of European policy, recognizing the need for new international partnerships after the end of US hegemony.
Spain’s Left Municipal Governance Lessons for Zohran Mamdani
Balancing the smooth running of local government with a bold reform agenda, as Zohran Mamdani will have to do in New York, isn’t easy. Spain’s recent experiments with left local governance offer some lessons on how (and how not) to do it.
In Spain, Farmworkers Are Dying in the Heat
Three migrant farmworkers died from heatstroke in Spain this summer. Largely ignored by media, their fate illustrates how the effects of the climate crisis are offloaded on the least visible workers.
Spain Is Right to Reject Increased Military Spending
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has broken ranks with other NATO leaders as he refused to commit to spending 5 percent of GDP on defense. It’s a welcome move, and a rare voice of dissent from Europe’s rush to remilitarize.
Even in Government, Spain’s Left Struggles to Get a Hearing
Spain’s left-wing alliance Sumar sought to use high office to deliver workers’ rights and lower the cost of living. During the pandemic, it made progress — but now that the broad-left coalition has no majority, Sumar is struggling to make itself heard.
How Emmanuel Macron Fell in Love With Africa’s Last Colony
Morocco is increasingly a focus of European alliance-building and investment, including in illegally occupied Western Sahara. French president Emmanuel Macron is leading moves to normalize the colony, despite rulings by the EU’s own courts.
Migrant Deaths Off Spain’s Coast Are Worse Than Ever
At least 10,457 migrants died trying to reach Spain’s territory in 2024. The European Union’s crackdown on Mediterranean crossings has diverted African migrants toward the even more perilous Atlantic route, turning the ocean into a mass grave.
The Mass Deaths in Spain Aren’t Just a Natural Disaster
At least 95 people died in flash floods in eastern Spain on Tuesday. Far fewer could have died in the Valencia region if its right-wing government had prepared civil protection measures — and if bosses hadn’t insisted that workers come into work.
Spain’s Alt-Right Scored an Electoral Upset via Telegram
In Spain, conspiracy theorist Alvise Pérez’s new party just won three seats in the EU Parliament. Its get-out-the-vote operation mainly relied on his own Telegram channel — showing how much the alt-right is outcompeting the Left on social media.
Spain’s Vox Party Is the Center of the Global Far Right
Last Sunday, Spain’s Vox party hosted a rally featuring far-right leaders from around the world, including everyone from Marine Le Pen to Javier Milei. It shows how coordinated the movement is becoming — and how Vox is playing a central role.
Sumar Isn’t Making Its Mark on Spain’s New Government
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, seized the initiative this week by slapping down right-wing judicial attacks on his government. But his left-wing allies Sumar seem increasingly overshadowed — and their weak position is exposing divisions in their ranks.
Activist Judges Want to Oust Spain’s Broad-Left Government
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez may resign after a judge launched a bogus corruption probe targeting his wife, Begoña Gómez. The case is a farce pushed by far-right lobbyists that shows the need to rein in Spain’s politicized judiciary.
Britain Helped Franco Destroy Spanish Democracy
Eighty-five years ago today, Francisco Franco declared victory in the Spanish Civil War. In an interview, historian Paul Preston tells Jacobin about the decisive role that Franco’s sympathizers in the British government played in crushing Spanish democracy.
Why Spain Opposed the West’s Punishment of UNRWA
When the US suspended aid to the main UN aid agency in Gaza, the Spanish government increased its funding. While most Western countries follow a dogged pro-Israel line, left-wing ministers in Spain have been a rare dissenting voice.
To Change Spain, the Left Needs to Rein in a Reactionary Judicial Establishment
Spain’s congress has voted in Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez for a new term as prime minister. His pact with left-wing Sumar and Catalan parties has withstood far-right violence — but must still overcome resistance from conservative activist judges.
In Spain, Conservative Judges Rebel Against an Amnesty for Catalan Nationalists
After an inconclusive election, Spain’s broad-left coalition can only stay in power with Catalan parties’ help. It’s ready to negotiate an amnesty for Catalan nationalists — but the idea is creating an intense backlash from right-wing activist judges.
For Spain’s Left to Remain in Power, It Has to Remake the State
Spain’s election didn’t produce the expected right-wing landslide — and offers the Socialists and left-wing Sumar another chance to govern. To form a majority, they’ll need to assemble a wider coalition, based on remaking Spain’s democratic institutions.
Spain’s Left Is Fighting Back Against the Rise of the Far Right
Yolanda Díaz’s left-unity Sumar platform is gaining momentum, countering far-right Vox’s rise in the final stretch before today’s election. Left-wing unity and mobilization are crucial to fend off the possibility of a reactionary wave.