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S\u00e1nchez praised pro-Palestinian protesters who repeatedly disrupted the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a cycling race over the involvement of an Israeli team. | Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/p>\n\u201cHe\u2019s at a critical juncture, the worst moment of his tenure, and he has managed to use this issue as a way of reconnecting with his voters and filling a political void,\u201d said Llu\u00eds Orriols, a political scientist at Carlos III University.<\/p>\n
In June, S\u00e1nchez was forced to apologize after the release of audio recordings featuring his party\u2019s No. 3, Santos Cerd\u00e1n, that appeared to implicate him in a vast kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. Another former senior Socialist and close S\u00e1nchez ally, Jos\u00e9 Luis \u00c1balos, who had been transport minister, had already been implicated, although he insists he became unwittingly involved in the alleged scheme. Both have been forced to leave the party; Cerd\u00e1n\u00a0is in preventive custody.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a judge has been investigating S\u00e1nchez\u2019s wife, Bego\u00f1a G\u00f3mez, for alleged business irregularities, and his brother, David, is expected to go on trial for charges that include influence peddling. Attorney General \u00c1lvaro Garc\u00eda Ortiz is due to face trial for revealing confidential information. All deny any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez praised pro-Palestinian protesters who repeatedly disrupted the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a cycling race over the involvement of an Israeli team. | Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
The government has cast the cases implicating S\u00e1nchez\u2019s family members and Garc\u00eda Ortiz as politically motivated. However, the scandals have still dominated the political agenda, giving the impression that the prime minister could fall at any moment.<\/p>\n
But now the focus has switched \u2014 to Gaza. <\/p>\n