MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced that he will not tender resignation in response to a corruption investigation of his wife’s business agreement.
Earlier, he said that he is considering resignation over the investigation he has called a political move attacking his government. Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, took to streets and roads in Madrid in an effort to persuade him not to quit. The PM stunned the country Wednesday by announcing he was cancelling all official meetings to reflect on his future. PM’s supporters travelled by bus from across Spain to attend a support rally for Sánchez outside his party’s main office, chanting “Pedro, don’t give up” and “You are not alone”. Pedro Sanchez said that he was “reflecting” on the possibility of resigning following a court opened a probe into his wife on suspicion of graft.
In a statement via social media, he said that he needs to stop and think to decide to continue to head the government or give up this post. A Madrid court stated earlier that it had “opened a probe into Begona Gomez for the alleged offence of influence corruption in response to a complaint by Manos Limpias, an anti-corruption pressure group, whose leader is associated to the far right.
The court statement came several hours following online news site El Confidencial reported investigators were investigating Gomez’s ties to several private firms that received government funding.
The site reported the investigation was linked to the alleged connection which Gomez – who does not hold official responsibility and also maintains a low profile – had with the tourism group Globalia, which owns Air Europa.
Socialist Prime Minister Sanchez said in his letter that the complaint was based on “non-existent” facts and was part of a drive of “harassment” against his wife led by “ultraconservative” press and backed by the conservative and far-right opposition party.
