PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP
Illustrative photo; Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a plenary session in the lower house of the Spanish parliament.
INTERNATIONAL – A break to collect receipts. To everyone’s surprise, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced ” to reflect on ” to a resignation this Wednesday, April 24. This announcement follows the opening of an investigation against his wife for influence peddling and corruption. The Prime Minister denounces a campaign of destabilization orchestrated by the right-wing opposition.
“I need to stop and think” in order to decide “ whether I should continue to be head of government or whether I should renounce this honor”, wrote the socialist leader in a letter published on the social network He has been in power since 2018.
“I’m not naive”
A preliminary investigation, placed under the seal of “ secret of instruction », in fact targets the wife of Pedro Sanchez, Begoña Gómez. It was opened on April 16 after a complaint from the association “ Manos limpias » (Clean hands), 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 facts “ non-existent » and a campaign of “ harassment ” against his wife, carried out by media “ ultraconservatives » and supported, according to him, by the right-wing and far-right opposition. “I’m not naive”he said: “ I am aware of the fact that they are filing a complaint against Begoña, not because she did something illegal, because they know that is not true, but because she is my wife”.
475 million euros for Air Europa
According to the online media The Confidential, 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 the Madrid business school IE University, a position she left in 2022. However, IE Africa Center had “ signed a sponsorship agreement with Globalia in 2020 »writing The Confidentialaccording to whom 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.).
The opposition demands “a serious explanation”
After the publication of Pedro Sánchez’s letter, the Popular Party (PP, right), the main opposition party, called on the Prime Minister to “ present himself urgently to give a serious explanation on the scandals surrounding his party, his government and his partner”“ instead of disappearing for five days”.
Pedro Sanchez focuses on victimization and pity rather than responsibility and clarity”insisted the conservative party, suggesting that his threat of resignation could result from a political poker move.
Those close to the Prime Minister, on the other hand, stepped up to defend him, like the number three in the government Teresa Ribera. “ Not everything is possible in politics” : “ neither he (Pedro Sánchez) nor his family deserve this, nor does Spain”she wrote on X. The number two in the government, Maria Jesus Montero, also denounced the “ Trumpist practices » of the PP, whom she accused “ to use a false accusation from a far-right organization to defame and launch slander” towards the Prime Minister.
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