Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced on Monday that he will not be resigning amidst a corruption investigation into his wife's affairs, Begoña Gomez. In a TV address from his official compound in Madrid, the PM stated that he would continue as the head of the Spanish government with more force, if possible. This announcement came days after he canceled his public duties to "reflect" on whether to continue in his job, following a Spanish court opening a probe against his wife.
The 52-year-old leader made it clear that he will not be stepping down from his position.
“I act on clear conviction. Or we say enough of this degradation or it will condemn us as a nation. This is not an ideological question. It’s a question of dignity and defines us as a society. My wife and I know this campaign (against us) will not stop,” he noted.
Before concluding, Sanchez thanked his Spanish Socialist Party members for their support.
An investigation into Gomez's political and business associations was initiated after a criminal complaint was filed by the Clean Hands pressure group, which has been linked to Spain's far-right. Sanchez accused Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the People's Party (PP) and Santiago Abascal of the far-right Vox of collaborating with those who were spreading the allegations. However, last week, Prosecutors cast doubts on the complaint when they recommended it should be dismissed.
The political wrangling comes at a crucial time with less than six weeks left before the European Union elections, and just two weeks ahead of the Catalan regional election on May 12.
The possibility of the prime minister resigning had caused concern as it could have led to political instability. Spain would have been required to conduct another tense parliamentary vote to elect a new premier or hold a fourth general election in just five years.
During Sanchez's absence, the right-wing opposition had taken advantage of the situation by intensifying their criticism of the premier. They accused him of neglecting his duties and not responding adequately to the ongoing investigation.
However, his party welcomed his decision to remain in office.
