Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says he will continue in office

29 April 2024, 11:44

Spain Politics
Spain Politics. Picture: PA

His decision follows an announcement that a court has opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption charges.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he will continue in office “even with more strength” after days of reflection.

Mr Sanchez shocked the country on Wednesday, announcing he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations.

“I have decided to continue on with even more strength at the helm of the government of Spain,” he said in a televised speech after informing King Felipe VI of his decision.

His resignation would have deprived Europe of its longest-serving Socialist prime minister currently in charge of a major European Union country right before European elections in June.

“It is a decision that does not mean a return to the status quo, this will mark a before and after, I promise you that,” Mr Sanchez said, without detailing what steps he could take to curtail “the smear campaign” he says he and his family is facing.

The eurozone’s fourth-largest economy had been in suspense since Mr Sanchez, prime minister since 2018, posted an emotional letter on X on Wednesday.

In it it he said the moves against wife were too personal an attack on his family and he needed time to decide on his priorities.

In that letter, where he declared himself “deeply in love” with wife Begoaa Gomez, he said that he could no longer just stand aside and watch her being targeted by a legal probe brought by allegations by a right-wing platform that accused her of using her position to influence business deals.

The group, Manos Limpias, or “Clean Hands”, acknowledged that the complaint was based on newspaper articles.

Spanish prosecutors say it should be thrown out.

Mr Sanchez said the move was too personal an attack on his family and he needed time to decide on his priorities.

He essentially has four options: resign, seek a parliamentary vote of confidence, call a new election or remain in office.

Spain Politics
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is popular on the international scene, but within Spain, he is either loved or despised (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Any one of them could upset key legislative plans as well as a crucial election in the Catalonia region in May and the European Parliament election in June.

Mr Sanchez, 52, has been Spain’s prime minister since 2018. He was able to form a new minority leftist coalition government in November to start another four-year term thanks to the exceedingly fragile support of a handful of small regional parties.

While popular internationally, Mr Sanchez is loved or despised in Spain.

The prime minister blames the investigation on online news sites politically aligned with the leading opposition Popular Party and the Vox party that spread what he called “spurious” allegations.

His supporters say this should be a wake-up call to react against baseless attacks that are poisoning Spanish politics.

The Popular Party, however, said Mr Sanchez’s behaviour was frivolous, adolescent and unbecoming of a European leader.

It said the decision was a tactical ploy to whip up support for electoral purposes.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

New Caledonia Unrest

French president convenes ministers to discuss violence in New Caledonia

Indonesia Flash Floods

Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 58 people

Croatia Marina Fire

Fire at a marina in Croatia destroys 22 boats but no injuries reported

British tourists triggered a health alert in Turkey after wading into the sea to scatter ashes

British tourists spark health alert in Turkey after wading into the sea to scatter dead relative's ashes

Israel Palestinians

Palestinians mark original ‘catastrophe’ with eyes on war in Gaza

Hungary CPAC

Dutch anti-Islam party on the verge of forming EU’s latest hard-right government

Russia Ukraine War Missiles

Russia says it downed 10 US-supplied missiles over Crimea as Blinken visits Kyiv

Family of killer whales (Orcinus orca) off Tarifa coast, Strait of Gibraltar, Costa de la Luz, Andalucia (Andalusia), Spain

Killer whales attack and sink couple's yacht, in latest in series of orca ramming attacks that are puzzling experts

Mohamed Amra, known as The Fly, was freed in the deadly police van ambush.

Manhunt for prisoner ‘The Fly’ freed in ambush enters day two as tributes paid to victims and guards erupt into protest

Biden

US to give one billion dollars in arms deal to Israel, congressional aides say

Russia has amassed over 500,000 troops on its front line with Ukraine

Russia 'amasses more than half a million troops on front line,' with outlook 'bleak' for Ukraine

Philippines China Disputed Shoal

Filipino activists, fishermen sail to disputed shoal in South China Sea

Boeing-Sales

Justice Department: Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after crashes

Solar Storm

Sun shoots out biggest solar flare in nearly a decade

Armed men hijack a prison van in Normandy

‘Justice will be done’, Macron vows, after two guards killed in ambush on prison van with gang boss ‘The Fly’ on the run

Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan Criminal Court in New York

Michael Cohen gives more evidence in Donald Trump hush money trial