Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remains steadfast, pledging to resist an "unwarranted" assault on his spouse.
Pedro Sanchez, a socialist, recently announced in a television broadcast from his official residence in Madrid that he would continue to lead the Spanish government as head. This decision came after a complaint of corruption against his rival, Gomez, filed by the right-wing association Manos Limpias.
Sanchez, 52, said he would increase his efforts to fight against "unjustified" attacks, including those against his wife, which he has previously blamed on conservative and far-right forces. "I act based on clear convictions. We say no to this humiliation or it will define us as a nation," he emphasized during his speech on Monday.
Sanchez expressed gratitude towards his Spanish Socialist Party members for their support throughout the various challenges he has faced.
A few days ago, the Madrid region's Superior Court of Justice initiated an investigation against Gomez "for alleged influence peddling and business corruption" following Manos Limpias' complaint. After announcement of this probe on April 24, Sanchez made the decision to suspend his public duties until Monday to "pause and reflect" on whether he should maintain the position of prime minister.
The prime minister claimed that the Clean Hands complaint may be based on information from "right-wing and far-right" digital media sources. On April 25, prosecutors attempted to block the investigation by asking the judge to halt the case.
Manos Limpias acknowledged they had relied on press reports for their court submission, stating that "it will be up to the judge to determine if that journalistic information is true or not."
However, a source from a Spanish prosecution service informed CNN that investigators did not observe any evidence of a crime that would warrant opening a case against Gomez.
Another group with conservative leanings, Hazte Oir, also presented a complaint against Gomez before the same court, alleging "influence peddling."
Sanchez's Socialist Party received strong results during recent regional elections in the Basque region of Spain. Polls predict the party will also perform well in the Catalonia elections next month.
Salvador Illa, Health Minister under Sanchez throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and now the Socialist Party's candidate for president of the Catalan region, commented on X (a social media platform) that Sanchez's decision to remain in power is "a brave decision to restore the dignity of politics and a commitment to oppose those who seek to undermine our democracy."
On the other hand, the leader of the main conservative Popular Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, stated, "This crisis didn't begin last Wednesday. It's been happening for years. Mainly, the unstable months of this legislature."
Sanchez first became prime minister in 2018 when he won a vote of no-confidence against Mariano Rajoy. He won a general election in November 2019, but fell short of a majority. He later formed a coalition government with the leftist Podemos party, only to call for a second election in May 2023 due to his party losing in regional and local elections. Then, he managed to form another coalition with a slender parliamentary majority and took office for another four-year term starting in November 2023.
Sanchez's government has strongly supported Ukraine, providing military equipment, air defense systems, and other aid. His government's progressive policies, including those regarding women's rights and a euthanasia law, have won votes in urban areas. Meanwhile, the rapid pace of change has also caused a backlash in certain regions of Spain, not to mention his accommodating approach towards separatist parties, troubling the idea of the country's breakup.
Around 12,500 people filled the narrow streets around the headquarters of the Socialist Party in Madrid on Saturday to call on Sanchez to remain in power. Another 5,000 supporters rallied at the Spanish parliament on Sunday, as per government accounts.
"If he resigns, everything we have fought for will disappear, not just what we gained socially – improvements for the LGBTI community and other disadvantaged groups. No, democracy as a whole loses," explained a demonstrator on CNN Español.
Contributions to this article were made by Pau Mosquera of CNN Español.
Read also:
Source: edition.cnn.com
