In a bombshell announcement that caught Spain off guard and sparked suspicion across Europe, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Wednesday night that he will take a break from official duties to decide whether he wants to continue leading the country. He cited exhaustion from right-wing attacks on his family as the reason.
Sanchez's announcement came just hours after Spanish media reported that a judge had launched an investigation into Begonja Gomez, the prime minister's wife, for alleged influence peddling and business corruption following a lawsuit brought by the Manos Limpias (Clean Hands) group, whose a leader associated with the extreme right.
The group accused Gomez of using her influence as the prime minister's wife to secure sponsors for a master's course at the university she ran. The court did not release further details since the case is sealed at this early stage.
Sanchez, who last year secured another mandate for his Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) as leader of the minority coalition government, said he would announce the decision on Monday, April 29.
"I urgently need an answer to the question of whether it is worth it ... to lead the government or to give up that honor," he announced yesterday on the X network.
Sanchez said that his wife had not done anything illegal and that she was being attacked "in order to weaken me personally and politically". He said that his wife will defend her honor and cooperate in the investigation.
The Manos Limpias group uses a unique legal instrument that exists in Spain known as the "popular accusation" to file criminal charges against third parties. Judges can decide whether to act on those complaints, and Reuters reports that not every accusation results in a judicial investigation.
Spanish legal experts point out that the accusations listed in the report by themselves do not meet the legal requirements for indictment. Spanish prosecutors yesterday asked for the case to be dismissed.
The Manos Limpias group was founded in 1995 by Miguel Bernard, a lawyer who ran for office in the ultra-nationalist National Front party, and was later named a Knight of Honor of the Francisco Franco Foundation, according to the "Politiko" portal.
In 2021, the Spanish National Court found Manos Limpias guilty of using threats of legal action and smear campaigns as a means of extortion against banks and companies. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court this year, but the judges noted that the group's activities were ethically "questionable."
Although Sánchez and his wife have successfully fought the defamation against them in court, the toxicity of the outpouring of hatred has clearly worn down the politician
In a post on the X network, Sanchez said he was tired of attacks on his family, which has been the target of critics since he was elected PSOE leader in 2014.
As the country's political scene becomes increasingly polarized, the attacks on his wife have become more intense. For several years, right-wing commentators have publicly spread vicious rumors about Gomez, including that she is actually a man whose real name is Begonjo, and that her family owns a chain of sex clubs and is involved in international drug-trafficking operations.
Although Sánchez and his wife successfully fought the defamation leveled at them in court, the toxicity of the outpouring of hatred has clearly worn down the politician, and the launch of the latest investigation was apparently the last straw.
"After it came to this I feel I have to legitimately question if this is really worth it," he wrote. "Despite the right-wing caricature of my personality, I am not tied to this position... My obligation is to my sense of duty and public service."
Potential outcomes range from Sanchez remaining in office until he resigns - leading to either a new candidate running for a vote in the House of Commons or a snap election in the summer - or he could undergo a confidence vote to strengthen his leadership.
According to the Spanish constitution, new elections can only be called one year after the last dissolution of parliament. That means the earliest Sanchez can formally call a snap election is May 29, which would result in a vote on July 21 at the earliest.
If Sánchez resigns, King Felipe would have to meet with all parties represented in the lower house to launch a new nomination process, determining the candidate who needs to win a parliamentary majority to become prime minister.
In Spain, politicians of all stripes routinely accuse each other, as well as family members and associates, of corruption, and there have been several high-profile scandals that have resulted in convictions.
Pedro Sánchez came to power in 2018 when the previous conservative government lost a confidence vote following a corruption scandal.
Currently, there are several parliamentary commissions examining public procurement contracts during the covid pandemic.
Earlier this year, former transport minister José Luis Abalos rejected calls from his PSOE party to resign as an MP after his aide was accused of accepting bribes to facilitate contracts for protective masks.
Speculations about high positions in the EU and NATO
Sanchez's announcement has sparked rumors in Brussels, where there is much speculation ahead of the upcoming elections about which national leaders could occupy the highest positions in the European Union.
Sanchez was not considered a candidate until now because he was believed to be more useful in running Spain, Europe's fifth-largest economy. However, Politiko points out that if he resigns, many would be happy to see him in Brussels.
According to the Brussels portal, his name is not only mentioned in connection with the position of the president of the European Council, but also in the race for the next secretary general of NATO.
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