Spain: Pedro Sánchez is considering resigning following the opening of an investigation against his wife

“I have to stop and think” to decide “whether to continue as head of government or to renounce this honor», wrote the socialist leader in a letter published on the social network X.

The head of the Spanish government, in power since 2018, specified that he will announce his decision to the press on Monday and that he will suspend his activities until then.

This preliminary investigation, sealed under the seal of “investigative secrecy”, targets his wife, Begonja Gomez. It was opened on April 16 following an appeal by the “Manos limpias” (Clean Hands) association, the Supreme Court of Justice in Madrid announced on Wednesday.

This collective, which has been the source of several court proceedings in recent years, is considered close to the extreme right.

In his letter, Pedro Sánchez condemns the complaint based on the facts “non-existent» and campaign « harassment» against his wife, carried out by the media «ultraconservatives» and they are supported, according to him, by the right-wing and far-right opposition.

“I’m not naive“, he said and added: “II am aware that they are filing a complaint against Begonje, not because she did something illegal, because they know that is not true, but because she is my wife.»

According to online media The Confidentialwho disclosed the information, this investigation focuses in particular on the links that Begoña Gómez established with the travel group Globalia, the owner of Air Europa, at a time when the latter was in negotiations with the government to obtain public assistance during the Covid pandemic.

At the time, Begoña Gomez headed the IE Africa Center, a foundation linked to the IE University Business School in Madrid, a position she left in 2022.

However, the IE Africa Center had “signed a sponsorship agreement with Globalia 2020“, writing The Confidentialaccording to which Begoña Gomez would participate in “private meeting with its CEO Javier Hidalgo as Globalia negotiated its rescue plan“.

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This plan enabled Air Europa to receive 475 million euros in November 2020 from a fund of 10 billion intended to support strategic companies in difficulty due to the health crisis.

The Spanish company was the first company to benefit from this fund. But dozens of others followed, including several airlines (Iberia, Vueling, Volotea, etc.).

Following the publication of Pedro Sánchez’s letter, the People’s Party (PP, right), the main opposition party, called on the prime minister to “present himself urgently to give a serious explanation about the scandals surrounding his party, his government and his partner”“instead of disappearing for five days“.

Pedro Sánchezit focuses on sacrifice and pity rather than accountability and clarity“, the Conservative Party insisted, suggesting that her threat to resign could be the result of a political poker move.

Those close to the prime minister, on the other hand, came to his defense, such as the third in the government, Teresa Ribera. “Not everything is possible in politics: neither he (Pedro Sanchez) nor his family deserve it, nor Spain”she wrote further X.

Earlier in the day, the government’s number two, Maria Jesus Montero, condemned “Trumpist practices» PP, whom she accused “use the false accusation of an extreme right-wing organization to defame and launch a slander» according to the prime minister.

Founded in 1995, the collective Manos limpias, at the beginning of the investigation against Begoña Gómez, is considered close to the extreme right because of the personality of its founder Miguel Bernado, the former leader of the Frente Nacional party, dissolved in 1993.

Accused of being involved in an extortion ring, the latter was sentenced to four years in prison in July 2021, but was finally acquitted on appeal last month, due to a lack of evidence according to the court.