Spain’s prime minister is considering resigning over allegations against his wife

The president of the Spanish government, the Socialist Pedro Sánchez, has sent an open letter in which he poses the question of whether it is worth continuing to lead the executive after the investigation opened on his wife, Begoña Gómez, following a complaint by the Manos Cleanas (Clean Hands, a real curse for the Socialists) union for alleged influence peddling and corruption.

This is an unprecedented scenario. Moncloa, the seat of the prime minister, and the PSOE denounce a “campaign of harassment” against him that exceeds “all limits.” On Wednesday, mid-afternoon, Sánchez posted on his social networks a four-page open letter to citizens in which he assured them that he would have to “stop and reflect” until next April 29, when he would appear before the media and announce his decision. A moment of reflection to let the dust settle and decide what to do.

The cancellation of his schedule concerns the first two campaign appointments in Catalonia: tomorrow he would have been in Sabadell and Sunday in Barcelona. Nor will he attend the Federal Committee that the party will hold this Saturday in Madrid to ratify the third vice president, Teresa Ribera, as a candidate in the European elections.

Carta a la ciudadanía. pic.twitter.com/c2nFxTXQTK

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) April 24, 2024

The president explains that he made this drastic decision after “the attacks” he and his wife are receiving from the Popular Party, Vox, and the media. On Wednesday, PP asked the president to come forward and provide “urgent and necessary explanations” for the investigation of his wife.

“I urgently need to answer the question of whether it’s worth it, despite the mud that the right and the far right try to turn politics into. Whether I should continue to lead the government or give up this high honor. Despite the caricature that the right and far right in politics and in the media have tried to make of me, I have never been attached to this position. Yes, I have it on duty: political engagement and public service. I do not enter into the accusations; I affirm the legitimacy of these great responsibilities to transform and advance the country I love,” Sánchez says in the letter.

“This is a harassment and demolition operation by land, sea, and air to try to weaken me politically and personally by attacking my wife,” it continues. The president adds, “I am not naive. I know that they denounce Begoña not because she did something illegal; they know there is no case , but because she is my wife. I am also fully aware that the attacks I suffer are not against me but rather against what I represent: a progressive political option, supported election after election by millions of Spaniards, based on economic progress, social justice and democratic regeneration.”

The letter was discovered just hours after news broke that his wife is the subject of an investigation by Madrid’s Court of Instruction No. 41 in response to a complaint brought forth by the trade union Manos Cleanas for influence peddling and bribery. The union had discovered Gómez’s relationship with at least one company that was awarded public contracts by the central government.

Begoña Gómez, wife of Pedro Sanchez

According to Manos Cleanas, a Carlos Barrabés company was able to win a public tender by joining forces with another business to form a UTE (Temporary Union of Enterprises). And among the documents submitted to participate was a letter of recommendation from Begoña Gómez herself as co-director of the Master in Fundraising at the Complutense University of Madrid.

As reported by El Confidencial and confirmed in legal sources, the complaint, filed a few days ago, ended up in the court presided over by instructor Juan Carlos Peinado, who opened the preliminary proceedings on April 16 and has already agreed to subpoena a battery of witnesses to try to clarify the facts. In addition, summary secrecy has been agreed upon, so at present, the public knows very little about this criminal proceeding.