The secretary-general of the Partido Popular, Miguel Tellado, reaffirmed in Madrid on 26 September that his party would not initiate the use of Article 102 of the Spanish Constitution to bring the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, before the Supreme Court on treason charges. Tellado was speaking at a rally organised by Sociedad Civil Española and said the government must take political responsibility for its actions during the crisis involving the autonomous city of Ceuta . He accused it of “clear negligence”.
Tellado also pointed to the criminal investigation already under way at the Audiencia Nacional, led by Judge María Tardón . The investigation concerns the mass border crossing into Ceuta at the end of July 2026. Tellado said Partido Popular trusted the work of the courts and considered the pending proceedings the appropriate framework for examining the matter, rather than a politically initiated process under Article 102.
Partido Popular’s reluctance contrasts with calls from the party Vox and parts of the protest movement for Sánchez to face charges of “treason”. Vox, represented at the demonstration by its leader Santiago Abascal , has been pressing for weeks for Article 102 to be invoked. Abascal publicly criticised Partido Popular’s refusal. These are political allegations and are not legally substantiated; those concerned reject the accusations.
Article 102 provides for the President of the Government and ministers to be charged by the Congress of Deputies, by a qualified majority, with offences committed in office, and subsequently tried by the Supreme Court. The threshold is high, and a purely parliamentary initiative does not replace a criminal investigation. By referring to proceedings before the Audiencia Nacional, Partido Popular is distancing itself from an escalation in parliament while maintaining pressure on the government.
The background is the debate over responsibility and events surrounding the situation in Ceuta at the end of July 2026. Opposition groups accuse the government of ignoring warnings and failing to respond adequately. The facts and any possible criminal relevance are currently being examined by Judge María Tardón. There are no predictions about the outcome of these proceedings.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).