Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is stepping back from public duties to consider whether to resign following the launch of a business corruption probe into his wife’s private dealings.
On Wednesday, a Spanish court launched a preliminary investigation against Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, over allegations of influence peddling and corruption. The court has not provided further details as the investigation is sealed and in early stages. The probe was initiated following a complaint by the anti-graft campaign group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which has links to the far right.
Sanchez has denied the allegations against his wife and stated that they will cooperate with the investigation. He has also criticized opposition leaders Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the People’s Party (PP) and Santiago Abascal of the far-right Vox party, accusing them of collaborating with those circulating the claims against his wife.
The investigation and accusations have sparked outrage within opposition parties, who demand explanations from Sanchez and accuse him of running away from his responsibilities. The PP has called for Sanchez to provide explanations in parliament, while Sanchez has left parliament for his residence in Madrid, reportedly visibly upset.
Sanchez came to power in 2018 after leading a no-confidence vote against Mariano Rajoy of the PP. He called for snap elections last year after his PSOE party’s poor performance in regional elections. The PP won the most seats but failed to reach a majority in the July national election, allowing Sanchez to form a controversial deal with smaller regional parties to govern, which included an amnesty for Catalans involved in the 2017 independence bid. This amnesty has drawn criticism from opposition parties and allowed former Catalan regional leader Carles Puigdemont to stand in next month’s regional vote after seven years of exile in Belgium to avoid arrest.
