Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez could resign as rivals try to 'kill him politically’
File image of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his wife Begona Gomez.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez may tender his resignation Monday (Apr 29) amidst allegations of corruption against his wifeBegoñaGómez. Earlier, a court in Madrid opened an investigation against Gómez following a complaint by a self-styled tradeunion,called Manos Limpias (Clean Hands). The group is known to have links to the Spanish right-wing.
As Sánchez comes under heavy attack by opposition, the Spanish socialist leader has accused his rivals of waging continuous “harassment and bullying operation” against him and hisfamily,in a letter that he wrote last week. Now, on Monday, the leader could decide on the future of his political career.
“Now that we’ve reached this point, the question I quite legitimately ask myself is: is it all worth it? I sincerely don’t know,” the prime minister wrote in his letter. “I need to stop and think about it.”
“We often forget that there are people behind politicians,” he wrote. “I’m not all embarrassed to say that I’m a man who’s deeply in love with his wife and who has to live with the helplessness of seeing all the mud that’s slung at her every single day.”
‘My wife innocent’
PM Sánchez has stressed that his wife is innocent and has been a victim of a smear campaign by his political right-wing opponents and media.
He has alleged that the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party are colluding with groups like Manos Limpias and the media to run a campaign against his family.
Killing Sánchez ‘politically’
Sánchez believes his rivalsonare on a mission to kill his political career. On Friday (Apr 26), two major Spanish newspapers published audio and transcripts of a 2014 meeting between a senior PP minister and a former police officer allegedly discussing plans to spy on Gómez’s father and kill Sánchez ‘politically’.
Watch:Spain reopens Pegasus probe, Spain PM Pedro Sanchez's phone infected by spyware
A twist came as Manos Limpias groupon Thursdayadmitted its complaint against Gómez may havebeen basedon misleading media reports.However, a day later, another right-winggroup,named Hazte Oír (Make Yourself Heard) filed a new complaint against her for alleged influence-peddling.
(With inputs from agencies)