On the 29th (local time), Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, announced that he would stay as Spain’s Prime Minister despite the ongoing investigation into corruption allegations against his wife.
According to Reuters and AFP, Prime Minister Sanchez stated in a TV speech that morning, “After careful consideration, I have decided to stay on as Prime Minister,” adding, “I will lead the government with more strength going forward.”
Sanchez added he had also informed King Felipe VI of his decision.
Prime Minister Sanchez canceled all official engagements last week and went into seclusion to contemplate his future after the Spanish judiciary announced on the 24th that it had begun a preliminary investigation into corruption allegations against his wife, Begoña Gomez.
The preliminary investigation into Gomez began following a complaint by the far-right pressure group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands).
In response, Prime Minister Sanchez posted a lengthy statement on his X (former Twitter) account, indicating that he was reconsidering his role as Prime Minister due to the severe attacks against him and his wife. After further contemplation, he said he would announce his official position on the 29th.
In his statement, he strongly criticized the leaders of the right-wing People’s Party and the far-right VOX party for collaborating with Manos Limpias to launch a harassment campaign against him and his wife.
On the 27th weekend, while Sanchez was considering his options, thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Madrid headquarters of his Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), urging him to stand firm against the baseless attacks and to remain in office.
However, the opposition People’s Party criticized Sanchez as ill-advised and a ploy to boost his approval rate ahead of European elections.
Nagore Calvo Mendizabal, a lecturer on Spanish and European politics at King’s College London, suggested to AP that this could be another political maneuver by Prime Minister Sanchez to gain nationwide support against the attacks from the right.
Sanchez, the leader of the Socialist Workers’ Party, has been serving as the Prime Minister of Spain since 2018.
In the early general election last July, the Socialist Workers’ Party lost its position as the leading party to the People’s Party. Still, Sanchez secured another term in November last year with the support of his allies, the left-wing coalition partners Sumar and Catalan separatist parties.
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