Else Beekman
Thousands gathered in Madrid’s Plaza de España on Sunday at the call of the Partido Popular (PP), in a protest led by party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo against what he described as the “degradation of democracy” under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The mass protest comes amid mounting tensions over Sánchez’s political agreements with regionalist parties and the controversial amnesty law for Catalan separatists. Critics see these as an erosion of democratic accountability. The PP accuses the government of clinging to power through backroom deals and compromising the rule of law, while also failing to deliver on key responsibilities such as passing the 2025 national budget.
“Mafia or democracy”
According to PP figures, around 100,000 people attended, although the central government’s delegation estimated the turnout between 45,000 and 50,000. The event, held under the slogan “Mafia or Democracy”, marked the sixth such demonstration organised by the PP since Feijóo assumed leadership.
Feijóo urged participants to leave behind party symbols and flags, declaring: “We are not here to defend a party or an ideology. We are here to defend our country.”
He appealed to disillusioned voters across the political spectrum, including former Socialist supporters, positioning the PP as the only “broad space capable of bringing Spaniards together”. He added: “This is not about party initials. I hope other leaders understand that soon.”
Call for elections
Surrounded by prominent PP figures including Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the city’s mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Feijóo demanded Sánchez to call early elections. “Spain already knows who you are. Surrender to democracy, call elections now. No one voted for this. Not even your own supporters,” he said.
Former prime ministers Mariano Rajoy and José María Aznar were also present as observers.
Unable to force a vote of no confidence in parliament, the PP now aims to maintain public pressure through street mobilisation. “We are starting the battle in the streets to win it at the ballot box,” Feijóo stated.
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Tensions ahead of protest
The protest followed a tense meeting of regional leaders just two days earlier, where discussions on housing and migration policy were overshadowed by political friction. Ayuso made headlines by refusing to greet Health Minister Mónica García and leaving the room whenever regional presidents addressed the assembly in Spain’s co-official languages, Catalan, Basque, or Galician.
During Sunday’s protest, Ayuso was greeted with chants of “Isabel” and “You’re the best” as she defended Madrid’s approach to national diversity and again criticised the government’s linguistic policies.
Mixed reactions
While the PP claimed to have “flooded the capital’s streets” with demonstrators and voiced the concerns of “the Spain that won’t be silenced”, the PSOE dismissed the rally as a failure.
In a statement, the Socialist Party said: “Despite having over 800,000 members, the PP couldn’t even gather 45,000 people in Madrid.” The party described the turnout as a “flop” and labelled Feijóo “a man destined for failure”.
They argued that after months of political tension stoked by the PP, the limited street response exposed the party’s inability to galvanise broader public support. “He couldn’t even surpass numbers from previous PP-led protests,” the statement read, pointing to the millions living in Madrid and the arrival of buses from across the country.
A banner reading “Sánchez Traitor” was among those visible at the protest, underscoring the depth of anger among some participants.
Despite political divisions over turnout figures and messaging, the protest signals a clear intent from the PP to escalate its public campaign against the Sánchez administration.