VIDEO Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decided to continue as head of government, after five days of suspense that kept the country on edge

The head of Madrid’s Socialist government announced on Monday that he would not resign, five days after suggesting he was considering such a decision, citing attacks on his wife, who is the target of a preliminary corruption investigation, Reuters and El Pais write .

“After careful consideration, I have decided to continue as prime minister,” Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

“I make up my mind to go on, with more force, if possible. It is not about the destiny of a particular leader. It’s about deciding what kind of society we want to be. Our country needs this reflection,” said Sanchez, who added that “we have allowed mud to contaminate our public life for too long.”

RTVE previously stated that Sanchez’s decision had already been communicated to King Felipe.

Sanchez thanked protesters who came out over the weekend to demand he continue as head of government, saying they influenced his decision. But in particular he blamed the toxic political environment in Spain.

“If we accept that politics involves attacking innocent people, it’s not worth it,” he added. “There is no honor that justifies the suffering of the people you love the most,” he said.

“I ask the Spanish society to set an example again. The evil that affects us is part of a global movement. Let’s show the world how to defend democracy,” concluded the prime minister, quoted by El Pais.

Sanchez had announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his public activity and that he was taking a break to consider whether he would continue as head of the government.

The announcement was made after a Spanish court opened a preliminary corruption investigation into the private affairs of his wife, Begona Gomez.

Sanchez denied the allegations against his wife and said they were part of a sustained smear campaign by his right-wing and far-right political opponents.

The case involving Sanchez’s wife

The investigation against Sanchez’s wife was opened following a complaint filed by the “Manos limpias” (Clean Hands) association, a group close to the extreme right.

According to El Confidencial, the case relates in particular to Begoña Gómez’s ties to the Globalia group, the sponsor of the foundation where he worked, at a time when Air Europa, an airline owned by Globalia, was negotiating with the Sánchez government to obtain public aid.

In November 2020, this company indeed received 475 million euros from a 10 billion euro fund intended to support strategic enterprises in difficulty due to the pandemic.

But dozens of other companies followed his example, including several of his competitors (Iberia, Vueling, Volotea, etc.), writes AFP.

On Thursday, the prosecutor’s office asked for the investigation to be closed, while Manos Limpias admitted that his complaint was based only on press articles, but the judge in charge of the case has not yet revealed his intentions.

Sanchez’s supporters urged him to continue

Thousands of supporters rallied in Madrid over the weekend, calling on Sanchez to stay in office – to continue his rule, but also to prevent the installation of an opposition government backed by the far-right.

The 52-year-old prime minister first came to power in 2018 and secured a new mandate for the Socialists last year as leader of a minority coalition government.

In recent days, opposition party leaders have condemned Sanchez’s gesture and argued that the prime minister is only acting.

“Spain does not have a problem, the one who has a judicial problem is Sanchez, his government, his party and his circle. Let’s let them solve it,” Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative People’s Party, told a meeting in the eastern city of Tarragona on Saturday.