Spain’s prime minister on Monday said he would not resign despite the investigation into his wife.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced his decision to remain in office in a televised announcement from his compound in Madrid after first informing Spain’s King Felipe VI.
Just last week, Sanchez canceled his public duties to give himself time to “reflect” on whether he should step down after a Spanish court opened an investigation into a corruption complaint brought by the far-right group Manos Limpias against the prime minister’s wife Begoña Gomez.
In his announcement, the 52-year-old Sanchez vowed to fight back against the “unfounded” attacks, which he has blamed on the Spanish far-right. He claimed that the campaign against him and his wife had been going on for a decade and would not stop.
The prime minister thanked the ruling Spanish Socialist Party for its support.
The Superior Court of Justice in Madrid launched an investigation into alleged influence peddling and corruption made against Gomez. When news of the investigation broke on April 24, the prime minister said he would suspend public duties until April 29 to “stop and reflect” on whether he should “continue leading the government.”
In an April 24 statement posted on X, Sanchez claimed that the allegations made by Manos Limpias were based on information published on “right and far-right” websites.
While the court decided to open a preliminary probe into the allegations, prosecutors appealed the decision on April 25, arguing that their investigation turned up no evidence to justify a probe.
Manos Limpias (AKA “Clean Hands”) admitted that its allegations were based on press reports but said it should be left to a judge to decide if the allegations were true.
A Sanchez resignation would have damaged the Socialist Party’s influence in Spain just as center-right parties have been gaining influence throughout Europe. Spain’s leading center-right opposition party the Popular Party described Sanchez’s actions as unbecoming.
