Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled all schedules this week and said he was considering resigning after the court opened an investigation of his wife, Begona Gomez, on charges of corruption and conspiracy to manipulate.
The Announcement
On April 24th, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez revealed he is considering resignation following a secret court order to investigate his wife, Begona Gomez, for corruption. In an open letter on social media platform X, Sanchez announced a temporary halt to his duties as Prime Minister to contemplate his future role in the government. He emphasized the unbearable pressure he and his wife are currently facing.
Faith in the justice of the Spanish prime minister
Earlier, during a parliamentary questioning session on April 24th, Prime Minister Sanchez affirmed his faith in the justice system of his country. “I stand by what I have said. I continue to trust in the justice of my country, its autonomy, independence, and the separation of powers. What I can assure you and the society of Spain is that when we entered the Moncloa Palace nearly six years ago, corruption cases were brought to light,” he asserted.
Investigation into the president’s wife
The court in Madrid announced on April 24th that it had initiated a “secret decree” investigation into Mrs. Gomez on April 16th, following a complaint by the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias. According to the court’s statement, Mrs. Gomez is accused of exploiting her influence for personal gain and corruption in business dealings.
Spanish media outlets report that the investigation particularly focuses on Mrs. Gomez’s ties with the Spanish tourism conglomerate Globalia, owner of the airline Air Europa.
Mrs. Gomez is alleged to have received sponsorship and participated in private meetings with CEO Javier Hidalgo at a time when Globalia was negotiating a multi-million euro bailout plan with Mr. Sanchez’s government.
This plan allowed Air Europa to receive 475 million euros ($507 million) in November 2020 from the Spanish government’s 10 billion euro ($10.6 billion) fund to support strategic companies struggling due to the Covid-19 health crisis. Notably, Air Europa was the first company to benefit from this aid package. In the same year, the IE Africa Center, which Mrs. Gomez was managing at the time, received sponsorship from the Globalia group.
In an interview with the press, the Spanish Prime Minister stated he would announce his decision on Monday next week (April 29th).
