Spain’s Prime Minister Sanchez considers resignation, blaming political ‘harassment’ of wife
Pedro Sanchez halts public duties, criticizing adversaries after court launches inquiry into alleged corruption by his wife Begona Gomez
Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has announced the cancellation of his public duties for the remainder of the week and has indicated that he is contemplating resignation.
He attributes this decision to what he describes as a “harassment and bullying operation” orchestrated by his political and media adversaries following a court’s decision to launch an investigation into his wife, Begona Gomez, for alleged influence-peddling and corruption.
Sánchez, who last year secured another term for his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) as leader of a minority coalition government, cited the severity of the attacks against himself and his wife as the reason for reassessing his position.
Prime Minister to announce his decision on Monday, April 29
“Now that we’ve reached this point, the question I quite legitimately ask myself is: Is it all worth it? I sincerely don’t know. I need to stop and think about it…all of which leads me to tell you that I will keep working, but cancel all my public duties for a few days while I decide which path to take. Next Monday, April 29, I’ll appear before the media to let you know my decision,” Sanchez wrote.
The announcement on Wednesday, set out in a letter Sanchez posted on X, came hours after a Madrid court opened a preliminary investigation into Gomez’s business affairs after a complaint was made by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a pressure group whose leader has links to the far right.
Bullying operation to bring Sanchez’s political collapse by attacking his wife
In his letter Sanchez said the Manos Limpias complaint was based on “alleged reporting” by news sites whose political leanings he described as “overtly right wing and far right”, adding: “As is only logical, Begona will defend her honour and will cooperate with the justice system as much as is necessary to clear up facts that are as scandalous in appearance as they are nonexistent.”
Sanchez accused his political opponents – chiefly Alberto Feijoo, the leader of the conservative People’s Party (PP), and Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox Party – of “collaborating with a far-right Digital Galaxy and with Manos Limpias.”
His opponents, he added, had launched a baseless “harassment and bullying operation by land, air, and sea” in an effort to bring about his “personal and political collapse by attacking his wife.”
‘Neither he nor his family deserve this, and neither does Spain’
His words elicited swift declarations of support from colleagues. “Not everything goes in politics,” wrote Teresa Ribera, Spain’s environment minister and a deputy prime minister. “We have a first-rate prime minister. Neither he nor his family deserve this. And neither does Spain.”
Yolanda Díaz, the labour minister, another deputy prime minister and leader of Sánchez’s coalition partners in the Sumar platform, also offered her full support.
She said: “This rightwing offensive can’t get its way. We need to defend democracy, the progressive bloc and the legitimacy of a coalition government that has done so much to improve people’s lives.”
Source: Newsroom
#haber#
