After his wife was accused of corruption, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez considered resigning. In a social media post on April 24, Sánchez wrote: “I need to stop and reflect to decide if I will continue leading the government or resign from this honor.” He announced his decision on April 29 and suspended the public agenda until then.
The announcement by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez came after a court in Madrid opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged abuse of influence and corruption in business dealings. The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias.
According to media reports in Spain, investigators were looking into Gómez’s ties with various private companies that received money or contracts from the government, including the Spanish tourism giant Globalia, which owns Air Europa airline. It is alleged that Gómez met privately with Globalia CEO in 2020 when the company was negotiating a multimillion-dollar bailout package with the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sánchez denied Manos Limpias’ accusations as baseless and part of a campaign of harassment against his wife directed by conservative media and backed by right-wing opposition parties. He also expressed gratitude to his cabinet members who supported him during this difficult time and emphasized their commitment to protecting democracy, progressive values and legitimizing the coalition government that has brought significant improvements to people’s lives.
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