Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Wednesday, in a letter published on X, “to reflect” on a possible resignation. This after the announcement of the opening of an investigation against his wife for influence peddling and corruption.
“I need to stop and think” in order to decide “if I should continue to be at the head of the government or if I should renounce this honor,” wrote the socialist leader in a letter published on the network social
The head of the Spanish government, in power since 2018, specified that he would announce his decision on Monday to the press and that he would suspend his activities until then.
External content
This external content cannot be displayed because it may collect personal data. To view this content you must authorize the category Social networks.
Accept More info
Secret de l’instruction
This preliminary investigation, placed under the seal of “investigation secrecy”, targets his wife Begoña Gómez. It was opened on April 16 after a complaint from the “Manos limpias” (Clean Hands) association, the Madrid Superior Court of Justice announced on Wednesday.
This collective, at the origin of several legal proceedings in recent years, is considered close to the extreme right.
In his letter, Pedro Sánchez denounces a complaint based on “non-existent” facts and a campaign of “harassment” against his wife, led by “ultraconservative” media and supported, according to him, by the right-wing and extreme opposition. RIGHT.
“I am not naive,” he says: “I am aware of the fact that they are filing a complaint against Begoña, not because she did something illegal, because they know very well that this is not true, but because she is my wife.”
Air Europa rescue plan
According to the online media El Confidencial, which revealed the information, this investigation concerns in particular the links established by Begoña Gómez with the tourism group Globalia, owner of the airline Air Europa, at the time when the latter was in talks with the government to obtain public aid during the Covid pandemic.
At the time, Begoña Gomez headed IE Africa Center, a foundation linked to Madrid’s IE University business school, a position she left in 2022.
However, IE Africa Center had “signed a sponsorship agreement with Globalia in 2020”, writes El Confidencial, according to which Begoña Gomez would have participated in “a private meeting with its CEO Javier Hidalgo at the time when Globalia was negotiating its rescue plan” .
This plan allowed Air Europa to receive, in November 2020, 475 million euros, from a 10 billion fund intended to support strategic companies in difficulty due to the health crisis. The Spanish company was the first company to benefit from this fund. But dozens of others followed, including several air carriers (Iberia, Vueling, Volotea, etc.).
ats/ther