The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that he will cancel his public agenda and is considering resigning due to the ongoing investigation into his wife, Begona Gomez, for corruption and influence peddling crimes. The prime minister will make a decision on whether to continue leading the government or resign on Monday, April 29.
The shock announcement came just hours after a Madrid court opened an investigation against Mrs. Gomez following a complaint from an organization called Manos Limpias, which alleged that she had corrupt ties with several private companies that had received government funding or won public contracts.
According to a center-right news site, El Confidencial, investigators are looking into Gomez’s ties to several private companies that have received government funding or won public contracts. One of these companies is Globalia, which owns Air Europa, where Mrs. Gomez reportedly met twice with Javier Hidalgo, Globalia’s CEO at the time, when the carrier was in talks with the government for a huge bailout following the collapse of air traffic due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The prime minister expressed regret over the “unprecedented” attack on his wife and questioned whether it was worth continuing as leader of the government. He also stated that he needed to “stop and think” with his wife before making a decision. “I urgently need to answer the question of whether it is worth it, despite the quagmire into which the right and far right intend to transform politics,” said Sánchez. “Whether to continue leading the government or resign from this high honor.”
However, Sánchez added that he was not naive and knew that his wife was being accused because she is married to him rather than any wrongdoing on her part. A government source told El Pais that “the professional activity of Begona is impeccable” and that Manos Limpias’ complaint was based on hoaxes and false news.”
The controversy comes at a time of strong polarization in Spanish politics as tensions have increased after the July elections: despite the narrow result, Sanchez managed to maintain power but accepted an amnesty agreement in favor of Catalan independentists in exchange for votes from separatist party Carles Puigdemont.
