Popular Spanish far-left party in turmoil after leader buys luxury house

Pablo Iglesias and partner Irene Montero's new home has a swimming pool and guest house

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias survived the confidence vote (AP)

The leader of Spain’s far-left Podemos party has retained his position despite a wave of criticism following his purchasing of a luxury house.

Pablo Iglesias and his partner Irene Montero, who is the party’s parliamentary spokeswoman, were accused of hypocrisy after purchasing the €600,000 (£525,000) home with a swimming pool and a guest house.

A confidence vote was called for the pair after the purchase. However, they survived after winning 68.4 per cent of nearly 190,000 votes cast.

Voters were asked: “Do you think Pablo Iglesias and Irene Montero should continue as party leader and party spokesperson?”

Mr Iglesias, a 39-year-old former political sciences lecturer, has previously said the pair lived in a modest apartment in a working-class neighbourhood of Madrid, a long way from their new home on the outskirts of the city.

However, the couple, who are expecting twins, have defended the purchase, saying they were simply moving house and had not bought the property as an investment.

In the past Mr Iglesias has criticised politicians who “live in villas” and accused them of failing to know the price of basic goods.

In 2012 he condemned former economy minister Luis de Guindos for buying a luxury home.

“Would you hand over the nation’s economic policy to someone who spends €600,000 on a luxury penthouse?” he asked.

However, those words have now been used against him following the recent purchase. Despite winning the confidence vote, analysts suggest the scandal will tarnish the party’s reputation as fighters for working-class Spaniards.

The Podemos (We Can) party, which Iglesias formed in 2014, often refers to Spain’s political and business elite as “the caste”, and claims it represents “the people”.

The party, which won around a fifth of the vote in the country’s 2016 general election, has quickly grown and has become one of Spain’s four main political parties. Opinion polls show the party occasionally beating PSOE, Spain’s traditional left-wing party.