Spanish PM Considers Resigning, Blaming Political ‘Harassment’ as Wife Faces Investigation
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that he is considering resigning from his position after a court launched an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged influence-peddling and corruption. Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018, stated that the “seriousness of the attacks” he and his wife have faced has led him to re-evaluate his position, and he will reveal his decision on Monday.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint made by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a pressure group with links to the far right. Sánchez described the complaint as based on “alleged reporting” by news sites with overtly right-wing and far-right political leanings. He expressed his wife’s intention to defend her honor and cooperate with the justice system to clear up what he called “scandalous” but nonexistent facts.
Sánchez accused his political opponents, Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the conservative People’s Party (PP) and Santiago Abascal of the far-right Vox party, of collaborating with a far-right digital galaxy and Manos Limpias. He claimed that they were engaged in a baseless “harassment and bullying operation” to bring about his personal and political collapse by attacking his wife.
Considering the Way Forward
The latest developments have compelled Sánchez to reflect on his position. He questioned whether it was all worth it and stated that he would cancel his public duties for a few days while he decides on his next steps. He plans to make his decision public on Monday, April 29th.
Sánchez received swift declarations of support from colleagues. Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Environment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, expressed her belief that “not everything goes in politics” and defended Sánchez and his family. Yolanda Díaz, the Labor Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and leader of Sánchez’s coalition partners, also offered her full support. She emphasized the need to defend democracy, the progressive bloc, and the legitimacy of the coalition government.
However, Sánchez’s critics remain unsatisfied. The People’s Party spokesperson called for the prime minister to provide a full explanation of the scandals surrounding him, his government, and his wife. They criticized Sánchez for opting for silence instead of transparency, stating that his problem is not just political but fundamentally judicial.
Sánchez’s Political Journey
Pedro Sánchez is known as a shrewd and audacious political operator. After being removed from his own party in 2016 for refusing to facilitate another People’s Party government, he managed to regain leadership the following year. In 2018, he used a no-confidence vote to topple the corruption-mired People’s Party government of Mariano Rajoy and assume office.
Two years later, after the Socialists finished first in two inconclusive general elections, Sánchez formed Spain’s first coalition government in 80 years by teaming up with the left-wing anti-austerity party, Podemos. His decision to call a snap general election in the summer of 2020 paid off, as the People’s Party could not gather enough support to form a government, allowing Sánchez and his coalition allies to establish a minority coalition government.
However, Sánchez’s deals with Catalan and Basque separatist parties, as well as the controversial issue of the Catalan amnesty, have made him vulnerable to opposition accusations of cynicism and a desire to hold onto power by any means necessary. Feijóo has previously described the amnesty law as a “shameful and humiliating deal” and the “greatest affront to dignity, equality, and the separation of powers seen in a Western democracy.”
As the investigation into his wife unfolds, Sánchez faces a critical juncture in his political career. The decision to resign or continue as Prime Minister will have significant implications for both him and the future of Spanish politics.
