The political landscape of southern Europe is once again a study in contrast. While the United Kingdom exhibits relative governmental stability, Spain finds itself in a familiar cycle of crisis, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez fighting to retain power amidst a series of corruption allegations and judicial investigations that have gripped the nation.
The scandals, which have been unfolding over recent months, involve multiple members of Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), including accusations of illegal financing, influence peddling, and misuse of public funds. The most damaging is the so-called ‘Kitchen Case’, wherein former high-ranking police officials are accused of engaging in a parallel investigation to discredit political opponents. Though the allegations predate Sánchez’s tenure, they have eroded public confidence and given ammunition to opposition parties.
As a scientist and climate correspondent, I typically focus on the physical realities of our world: melting ice sheets, rising carbon concentrations, and the steady encroachment of extreme weather events. Yet these political convulsions have a direct bearing on our ability to respond to climate change. Spain, like much of southern Europe, is on the front line of global warming, suffering from prolonged droughts, record heatwaves, and desertification. Any paralysis in Madrid delays urgently needed investments in renewable energy, water management, and adaptation infrastructure.
Last week, the Spanish parliament rejected a motion of no confidence brought by the centre-right Popular Party, which had sought to capitalise on the scandals. Sánchez survived by a narrow margin, thanks to the support of Basque and Catalan separatist parties, whose price for backing the government includes concessions on regional autonomy and budget spending. This fragile coalition is a recipe for legislative gridlock, precisely when decisive action is required.
Contrast this with the United Kingdom, where political stability, though periodically tested by internal party divisions, has allowed for consistent climate policy, such as the legally binding net-zero emissions target by 2050 and the recent expansion of offshore wind capacity. The contrast is not lost on investors: international capital flows favour predictability, and Spain risks falling behind in the race to decarbonise.
The irony is that Sánchez has positioned himself as a climate champion, pushing through a ambitious national energy and climate plan that aims to cut emissions by 23% by 2030 relative to 1990 levels. But without a strong and stable government, implementation falters. The delays are not academic; they translate into higher emissions, more heat-related deaths, and greater biodiversity loss.
From a purely physical science perspective, the planet does not care about political scandals. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 continues to rise, currently at 420 parts per million, a level not seen in 14 million years. The oceans continue to absorb heat and acidify. The West Antarctic ice sheet continues to shed ice at an accelerating rate. These are indifferent processes that respond only to our collective actions, not our political theatre.
Yet for us to act effectively, we need functional governments. The turmoil in Spain is a microcosm of a broader European problem: the rise of populism, the fragmentation of traditional parties, and the difficulty of forming durable coalitions. This political entropy undermines the long-term thinking required to decarbonise our economies and adapt to a changing climate.
There are lessons here for the UK. The relative stability of its political system is an asset, not an anachronism. It allows for sustained climate action, from the carbon tax to the phase-out of coal. But stability must not become complacency. The UK, too, faces severe climate impacts: flooding, heatwaves, and agricultural disruption. The government must use its stable platform to accelerate emissions reductions, invest in resilience, and support global efforts.
Spain’s Sánchez may cling to power for now, but the underlying drivers of instability persist: inequality, corruption, and a political system that struggles to deliver long-term solutions. As a climate scientist, I urge all governments to look beyond the daily news cycle. The climate clock is ticking. Political turmoil is a luxury we cannot afford.
In the end, the only stability that matters is that of our planetary systems. We have about eight years, at current emissions levels, before we exhaust the carbon budget for 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. Every day of political dysfunction is a day lost in the fight against climate change. For Spain, and for Europe, the stakes could not be higher.
