Spain’s government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is grappling with mounting scandal and political instability, with the opposition centre-right People’s Party (PP) widening its lead over the ruling party in opinion polls. The PP is polling at around 34 percent versus 27 percent for Sánchez’s PSOE, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, prompting callsfor early elections by the opposition.

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, the PP now holds a clear edge, buoyed by discontent over multiple corruption allegations involving senior PSOE figures. The scandal surrounding Santos Cerdán, the party’s former organising secretary, has intensified scrutiny on Sánchez’s leadership.

A political earthquake followed the resignation in June of Cerdán, who is accused of arranging kickbacks in public contract deals. Sánchez nonetheless rejected calls for his resignation, pledging anti-corruption reforms and announcing an external audit of party finances.

Coalition under strain

The current coalition, forged in November 2023 after a stalled election outcome, relies on agreements with smaller regional parties, including the Catalan separatist Junts, led by Carles Puigdemont. That pact included a controversial amnesty law for Catalan politicians in exchange for Junts’ parliamentary support.

Despite opposition claims that the amnesty undermines judicial integrity, Sánchez defended it as essential to political stability. Demonstrations erupted in Madrid, with protesters accusing him of betraying Spain’s principles.

Sánchez is increasingly portrayed as one of the few remaining centre-left heads of government in the EU. f he is ousted by the PP, which is aligned with broader centre-right coalitions across Europe, it would further cement conservative dominance at the EU level.

Reform push and reputational damage

Sánchez introduced sweeping measures in July 2025 to cleanse party structures – from barring convicted firms from public contracts to enhancing whistleblower protections. Transparency International Spain welcomed oversight measures but noted persistent gaps in ethics and political accountability frameworks.

Despite repeated apologies, polls indicate declining faith in the PSOE’s ethics, and 41 percent of voters say Sánchez should call an election, while nearly 18 percent believe he should resign altogether.

Across social media in France, three words have been proliferating since Bayrou announced his national budget plan on July 15: “Boycott, disobedience and solidarity” ("Boycott, désobéissance et solidarité").

Behind the slogan is the burgeoning national protest movement "Block everything" (Bloquons tout) calling for a day of national protest on September 10 in a bid to paralyze the country.

The citizens collective, which has about 20 organisers according to French newspaper Le Parisien, says it is independent of political parties and unions. On social media platforms X, TikTok, Telegram and Facebook, its message has taken off with supporters sharing visuals under the hashtags #10septembre2025 and #10septembre.

The trigger for such widespread discontent is Bayrou’s 2026 financial plan aiming to slash €43.8 million from the national budget and reduce France’s spiralling deficit. Among the most controversial austeritymeasures are plans to remove two national holidays, a freeze on pensions and €5 billion in health cuts.

But in the weeks since support for the protest took off, France’s political landscape has shifted dramatically. Bayrou in late August called for a parliamentary confidence vote in his government – and its budget – which will take place on September 8.

The prime minister is all but certain to lose the vote, forcing his resignation and leaving France, once again, without a government or a financial plan.

In this scenario, will the September 10 protests still go ahead?

“Definitely,” says Andrew W M Smith, historian of Modern France at Queen Mary University, London. “If the government falls on September 8, then on September 10 people will feel that the streets are where politics needs to be done. The protests will be even more emboldened because of the reality of an apparent political crisis.”

'Feeling left behind'

On a website created for the movement, which has since been removed, the collective listed a wide range of demands including massive reinvestment in public services, an end to job cuts, and for all public holidays to be maintained.

But the government is not the only target for the organisers’ discontent.

Recommended forms of protest include boycotting major retailers such as Carrefour, Amazon and Auchan, withdrawing money from major banks and the “peaceful occupation of symbolic locations” such as local government administrative buildings and town halls.

A social media post linked to the movement viewed more than 1.5 million times calls on supporters to help “stop the machine” that is crushing “worn out, invisible” citizens.