Pedro Sanchez's threats to resign have reignited the debate about political polarization

Spain remains on high alert as it waits to learn whether Pedro Sánchez will stay on as head of government or decide to step down following the allegations against his wife. The Prime Minister, as the election campaign approaches, expresses concern about political polarization.

Possible resignation of Pedro Sánchez following the initiation of legal proceedings against his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged influence peddling, plunged Spain into uncertainty. The Prime Minister will announce his future next Monday, April 29, after a five-day reflection period.

Moreover, after the Prime Minister put his agenda on hold following a possible influence peddling affair by his wife, his party decided to postpone the publication of the list for the European elections.

In an open letter to the public published this Wednesday on social networks, the Prime Minister announced that he canceled his public engagements this week to “pause and think” about his future.

“At this point, the legitimate question I have is: Is this all worth it, I don’t know.Mr. Sanchez stated in his communication.

The Prime Minister assures that he will corruption charges against his wifeadmitted to treatment by the court in Madrid, are just fabrications created to attack his family and himself, as part of an operation “harassment and demolition” led by their political opponents.

“This is a campaign of harassment and demolition by land, sea and air, which aims to weaken me politically and personally by attacking my wife” said Mr. Sánchez.

“Sánchez yes or Sánchez no”

Pedro Sánchez is one of the most controversial figures in Spanish politics, with as many detractors as admirers. It was not for nothing that the opposition focused its criticism of the government’s actions on the figure of the president himself, coining the term “of anti-sanchiism”.

On the streets, citizens express different opinions. There are those who regret his possible decision to leave the government, but some feel it’s time for Sánchez to go – or think it’s simply a a political maneuver to stay in power.

If he decided to step down, the head of government would leave his opponents without one of their main election arguments – myself. But without a clear alternative to replace him at the head of the governmentneither on the right, nor on the left, nor even within his own party, Pedro Sánchez also submits his possible resignation as a plebiscite on his political continuity.

“It is very naive to think that the Prime Minister does not know what he will do on Monday. So it’s not so much ‘I’m looking for time to think’ as ‘you’re looking for time to think’, think about what the country would look like if I didn’t stay at the head of the government.”explain Luis Arroyoexpert in political communications.

Changing the electoral discourse?

But beyond his personal motives, Sánchez introduced himself to Spanish politics a new narrative which could mark a long election campaign that will culminate in the European elections. Instead of debating amnesty or corruption, Mr. Sánchez offers Spaniards a debate on democratic regeneration.

According to a study on “democratic habits” implemented by CIS, 88.9% of respondents believe that there is “a lot or a lot” of political tension in Spain. Furthermore, 80.8% are “very or somewhat” worried about this tension, I 87.7% consider it “very or somewhat important” to reduce tension currently in Spain.

In addition, for 17% of Spaniards, The “bad behavior” of politicians is one of Spain’s top three problemsaccording to the latest CIS barometer.

With his open letter, Pedro Sánchez “tries to establish a new narrative in the conversation, only at the beginning of two campaigns. The Catalan campaign and, next month, the campaign for the European Parliament”Mr. Arroyo said.

“So it is clear that there is also a strategy. It is not incompatible with the sincerity of his words, but there is a strategy. The framework is not ‘amnesty yes or amnesty no’ or ‘independence of Catalonia yes or independence of Catalonia’ no’ The story is about institutionalism and respect, or on the contrary, about the “lies” of the extreme right.

A possible future in Europe

It is unclear what the final content of Mr. Sánchez’s statement this Monday will be, but Luis Arroyo believes that it is likely that the president will pass a vote of confidence or announce his resignation, even if not immediately, but within a certain time frame with a concrete schedule of actions, and that he is eventually seeking to continue his political action abroad.

“He moves very well in international circles. He is a very respected person in Europe, but also in the United States and Latin America. I think we cannot rule out that he goes to other regions where he is more respected, where he has more authority and where the opposition is less harsh, that is, in the international sphere, it could be Europe, but also the United States or Latin America.said this political communications expert.

The opposition demands explanations from Sánchez

The president of the People’s Party and main opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, accused Mr. Sánchez of trying “for intimidating the opposition, judges and journalists”. He added that he did not believe that the Spanish prime minister would resign, saying that he would “eventually it would sink itself.”

His party’s general secretary, Cuca Gamarra, accused Mr. Sanchez of trying to divert attention from an alleged corruption case involving his wife, Begoña Gómez. “The president must urgently come forward to give a reasoned explanation of the scandal surrounding his party, his government and his wife” said Mrs. Gamarra.

Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, thinks it could be “Another one of his propaganda maneuvers to present himself as a poor victim and thus silence the indignation of the vast majority of Spanish citizens.”

Government partners are getting closer

However, the socialist party and its government partners closed ranks behind the president. The first vice president of the government, María Jesús Montero, declares that within the executive branch they are trying to encourage Pedro Sánchez not to resign.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former prime minister and former head of the PSOE ranks, called for the “mobilization” of activists and supporters of the Socialist Party and guaranteed to respond with “democratic courage” and “no giving up” in the face of what he described as “insidious”.

The spokesman of the ERC in the Congress of Deputies, Gabriel Rufián, asked Mr. Sánchez not to resign from his post. At the same time, he announced that the president can count on his support if he decides to give him a vote of confidence.