Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing a potential political crisis after a judicial investigation was launched into corruption allegations against his wife, Begoña Gómez. Sanchez, who has been in office since 2018, has denied the allegations and said he is considering resigning. He has canceled his public agenda until Monday when he will announce his decision.
The allegations against Gómez were made by a right-wing legal platform called Manos Limpias, or “Clean Hands.” The group accuses Gómez of using her position to influence business deals. The court has not provided further information and said that the probe is under seal.
Sanchez has accused online news sites politically aligned with the leading opposition conservative Popular Party and the far right Vox party of spreading the allegations that led to the judicial probe. The Popular Party has criticized Sanchez for “playing the role of the victim instead of holding himself accountable.”
Last month, Spain’s government watchdog for conflict of interests tossed out a complaint made by the Popular Party against Sanchez whereby the opposition party claimed that Gómez had allegedly influenced her husband in a decision related to an airline.
The possibility of a governmental crisis comes just weeks before important regional elections in Catalonia followed by European elections in June. Sanchez has said that the attacks on his wife have made him reconsider his future.
“This attack is without precedent, it is so serious and coarse that I need to stop and reflect with my wife,” he said. “Most of the time we forget that politicians are people. And I do not blush to say it, but I am a man who is deeply in love with my wife, who is living with the feeling of impotence while being pelted with mud.”
“To summarize, this is an operation to harass me by land, sea and air to try and make me give up politics through a personal attack on my wife,” Sanchez wrote.
