Spain’s Prime Minister Pauses Duties over Wife’s Corruption Allegations

Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, has temporarily suspended his official duties to consider whether he should resign after his wife was investigated for corruption charges. In a statement published on social media platform X on April 24th, Sánchez wrote: “I need to stop and reflect in order to decide if I will continue leading the government or renounce this honor.”

According to Spanish media reports, the investigation into Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, began after a denunciation was filed by Manos Limpias, an anti-corruption group. The investigation stems from allegations that Gómez abused her influence in exchange for benefits and engaged in corrupt practices in business dealings with several private companies, including Spanish tourism giant Globalia.

It is reported that Gómez met privately with Globalia CEO in 2020 while the company was negotiating a billion-dollar bailout package with the government during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sánchez has denied any wrongdoing on his wife’s part and claimed that Manos Limpias’ accusations are baseless and part of a political campaign against his wife supported by conservative media outlets and right-wing opposition parties.

In response to the investigation, several members of Sánchez’s cabinet visited him at his home on April 24th. They expressed their support for him and urged him to continue leading the government. Yolanda Díaz, the Minister of Labor, said: “The right cannot triumph. We must protect democracy, progressives and legitimate coalition government that has improved people’s lives immensely.”