Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister María Jesús Montero and other members of the Spanish government greet supporters calling for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to stay in office. Photo: Andrea Comas / AP / NTB
Of NTB | 27.04.2024 16:02:51
Crime and justice: Sánchez stated on Wednesday that he is considering resigning after it became known that his wife Begona Gómez is being investigated for corruption. He has not appeared in public since.
He rejects the accusations against his wife and calls them part of a politically motivated campaign against him. He says he will announce on Monday whether he will continue or not.
According to the authorities, 12,500 people from all over Spain demonstrated that he does not resign. They held up placards reading “Spain needs you” and “Pedro, don’t leave us”.
There have also been strong appeals for him to continue within Sánchez’s social democratic party PSOE. Many of the government members came out to greet the crowd.
The investigation into Gómez was launched following a complaint from the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which has links to the far right. The group has previously sued a number of politicians for corruption, without winning.
According to the newspaper El Confidencial, the investigation concerns the connections Gómez had with the Spanish tourism company Globalia when the airline Air Europa was in talks with the government about a rescue package.
(© NTB)