Nearly a week later, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that he would not resign. Openly raise the possibility He and other officials have denounced the corruption allegations against his wife as a smear campaign.
The decision by Mr. Sánchez, whose political survival skills have repeatedly surprised his supporters and frustrated his conservative critics, is a momentous one for him, his country and Europe as a whole.
Last week, Mr. Sánchez’s response to the opening stoked anxiety, confusion and right-wing hope. Judicial investigation into his wife canceled his public schedule and issued an emotional open letter. He wrote that the harassment against his family had become intolerable and that he was considering resigning.
But on Monday he came back from the brink. Spain’s prosecutor’s office has sought to dismiss the complaint against his wife due to a lack of evidence.
“I decided to continue to intensify my efforts,” Sanchez said in a much-anticipated speech on the steps of the Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence. He added that his government would “show the world how we can stand up to slander”.
The sudden crisis was triggered by a Spanish judge’s decision to accept a complaint from Clean Hands, a group known for bringing cases in court against politicians and other prominent Spanish figures.
The group filed a complaint accusing Sanchez’s wife, Begonia Gomez, of influence peddling and corruption, citing as potential evidence online news reports that it acknowledged may contain false information. The judge ordered a preliminary investigation based on online media reports.
For now, at a time when populism and nationalism are on the rise, Mr Sánchez will remain one of the most reliable progressive voices on the European stage.
Sanchez, young, tall and telegenic, unexpectedly came to power in June 2018 after calling for a vote of no-confidence that ousted the conservative government following a bribery scandal in the conservative People’s Party.
He subsequently formed a government with the support of the left-wing Podemos coalition and regional separatist parties that harbored hopes of breaking away from Madrid. The far right is gaining ground across the continent.
During his tenure, Spain passed progressive legislation and the economy improved. But by last year he had become increasingly unpopular at home and became known for political inversions and political intrigue.He called an early election and ended it early The country’s first coalition government Since the return of democracy in the 1970s.
His conservative opponents appear to have a guaranteed victory. But the move proved to be a brilliant one. Although Sanchez won fewer votes than the Popular Party, he called early elections to stem the bleeding among his supporters and prevent his center-right rival and far-right party Vox from winning a large enough advantage to form a government. Instead, he cobbled together a governing coalition from virtually all remaining political forces, including smaller and sometimes opposition parties.
He has overcome other domestic obstacles in recent weeks, including passing a controversial amnesty law that pleased and retained coalition partners who support independence for the northern Catalonia region. If anything, Sanchez appears to be gearing up for his second term.
But then, after months of news reports that his wife and her colleagues benefited from her relationship with the prime minister were largely ignored, a self-proclaimed anti-corruption group went on record Pursue unlikely cases A complaint was filed with a Spanish judge based on several of these critical articles.
Spain’s political landscape began to shake on Wednesday after a judge agreed to an investigation and Sanchez issued an emotional response.
